


The Wheel Keeps Turning

by dr_sturgeonman



Series: So Long as the Music Plays, We Dance [1]
Category: Magi: Adventure of Sinbad (Anime), Magi: The Labyrinth of Magic
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Gender Changes, De-Aged Character(s), Djinni & Genies, F/M, Female Aladdin (Magi), Jealousy, Older Aladdin, Sinbad is petty, Some OOC, author has vague idea of what's going on
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-02-19
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-02-28 03:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 19
Words: 133,335
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22797154
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/dr_sturgeonman/pseuds/dr_sturgeonman
Summary: My crackpot gender-bend what-if AU centering around the idea that Sinbad's birth was such an outlier that Ugo decided Aladdin was needed to mitigate any damage such an anomaly might make.And then I thought, "Hey, what if I used some of the original concept ideas Shinobu had, but not all of them. Namely, what if Aladdin was female?" and I've since run with that. Will follow the plot of Magi: The Labirynth of Magic for now.
Relationships: Aladdin & Morgiana & Alibaba Saluja, Aladdin/Sinbad (Magi), Sharrkan & Yamuraiha | Yamraiha, Sinbad & Jafar
Series: So Long as the Music Plays, We Dance [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1762072
Comments: 62
Kudos: 102





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Pretty much summed up in the summary. I'll try not to disappoint y'all too bad but no promises.
> 
> Usual I own nothing, yadda yadda, and don't like don't read.
> 
> On with it then!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to be working on updating this and ironing out some flaws as I work up the inspiration to finish this.

_**A little over two years ago** _

_ The island’s forests were lush green vegetation that grew in every direction, interrupted only by the colorful bodies of bright birds and exotic flowers. The sound of nearby crashing waves was a constant, growing louder as Sinbad approached the shoreline of Sindria. Crystal blue water that crashed lazily onto soft white sand of the beaches that encompassed the island. _

_ Sinbad was a tall man of athletic build, with long flowing plum hair tied in a simple ponytail, wearing silken robes and the finest of jewelry befitting of a king. The weight of his Djinn vessels, normally an anchoring presence in his turbulent life, brought no comfort this evening. _

_ A familiar lead weight made itself known in his stomach, threatening to have him swallowed by the sand as he walked towards the only other figure on the shore. The setting sun cast her in a dark silhouette. Her shadow sneaked past him, reaching towards the forest as if to escape into the night. He stopped beside her and silently watched the sun dip deeper below the horizon to be swallowed by the sea. _

_ He licked his lips, as if to find the words to say printed there for him to read, his mind blank as he fished up nothing to express his feelings. _

_ “It’s a beautiful evening.” The figure’s feminine voice broached, saving Sinbad from his arduous task of breaking the ice, her tone happy in that way one felt when something exciting was about to begin. The two, however, lapsed once more into awkward silence, only broken by the constant crashing waves. _

_ “Nothing like the first one though.” He eventually found the words to reply, his throat dry as he tried in vain to loosen the fabric on his chest. And it was. That first sunset on Sindria had been perfect, a cherry red sky that bled into deep pomegranate before being swallowed by the pitch black of night. A sight that would forever be ingrained in his memory that he had been blessed enough to share with this wonderful woman beside him, though it had not been the setting sun to steal his breath away that day. _

_ “Where are you off to?” He eventually asked, kicking his foot in the sand, walking around the proverbial bush. _

_ “I don’t quite know,” a curious lilt to her voice as her head cocked to the side deep in thought, “I was thinking of traveling to Reim for a bit before going to the Eastern continent, though I’m not sure if that’s best at the moment.” She spit balled, scratching her head and setting a few long strands of blue free to be blown on the sea breeze _

_ “You can always stay here if you want.” _

_ You can always stay with me. Is what he meant. _

_ His unasked plea for her to stay fell on deaf ears as she laughed quietly, like one does when a child begs their grandma not to leave. _

_ Radiant blue eyes and blinding smile that put any and all burning stars to shame turned to him. _

_ “I can’t do that.” She told him with a sad voice _

_ “Why?” He begged, desperation leaking into his voice. She was always doing this, galavanting off and then appearing out of nowhere in Sindria until she vanished just as abruptly a few weeks later, months if he was lucky. Her absence like a moonless night without even the stars to accompany him. And when she returned it was like he could see and breathe again without fear of the long night. But that fear was always there. That fear of her leaving again. _

_ Leaving  HIM  again. _

_ Another smile, this time sad and not reaching her ears, before she vanished off the beach. The king of Sindria watched her fly off into the distance, stuck between wanting to chain her down or follow after. _

_ He watched her and the sun disappear over the horizon, wondering when the long night would once more be over. _

* * *

**_Present Day (Sindria)_ **

Sinbad currently sat morosely at his desk attempting in vain to accomplish his kingly duties, namely a metric shit ton of paperwork that was a result of the bureaucracy needed to smoothly run a prosperous kingdom. Broken from his memory by the intrusion of his trusted generals who had started to argue over something trivial he was sure. He was, however, not in his usual agreeable mood to sit back and watch the fireworks like he usually was.

“Oh, are we compensating for something? You sword making up for the other half of your manhood?”

“Wha-! At least I can still think for myself. All that blood that gave you such a big head must have strangled your brain with how you’re talking!” 

“Is that a fight you are asking for, or is your bark just worth more than your bite?”

“Cheap words? Fitting for someone who only knows cheap tricks.”

“Enough!” Sinbad commanded, the bickering pair having come into his office while he was reminiscing and starting one of their usual arguments. While he normally let them work it out themselves he had been in a rather sour mood lately since he’d stopped hearing word about a certain blue-haired magi.

The two generals stood to attention at the commanding tone they had only heard when Sinbad was truly and deeply aggravated. It was a tone that commanded everyone's attention and could even cow fellow kings at the best of times. Neither of the two were willing to speak first and draw their king’s ire while he was so annoyed.

“What did you two come in here for?” His gaze jumped from figure to figure as he prepared to pounce at the first one to step out of line. “Speak.” He finally said looking directly at Sharrkan when neither moved from their statue-like state, the Heliohapt royal jumping a foot in the air and visibly shaking in his sandals while Yamuraiha breathed a quiet sigh of release at not being called on first.

“Ah, well, you know how the training yard is- I was just wondering...” The man started weakly, tapping his pointer fingers together as he tried to string together the right sentence that would keep his head from being bitten off by the enraged king.

“The point.” Sinbad asked- No, demanded! His nostrils flaring his nostrils in agitation while the tanned male began to liquefy under his sharp golden gaze.

“The training grounds are in need of repairs!” He finally got it out, jumping to a salute while Sinbad’s heated gaze bore into him, as if trying to set the poor swordmaster on fire.

Sinbad stared at him a minute more before his gaze shot to Yamuraiha, the court magician stuck between deciding to turn herself invisible or teleport to some dark recess of the world to hide, not that either option would help.

“I AM IN NEED OF MORE FUNDING FOR RESEARCH!” She shouted, raising her hand like she was in school asking desperately for the teacher to let them go to the bathroom.

The room fell silent as Sinbad watched them like a hawk does injured rabbits hiding under a bush, waiting for one to scare and break cover. His hands laced tightly in front of his face as he leaned forward on his elbows. Taking a long and deep breath in through his nose while the room’s other occupants held their own, letting the held-in air out slowly through his mouth. Closing his eyes as he breathed in and out, an effort to calm himself and not let his personal feelings interfere with his decision. Not that it ever really helped.

In and out.

His eyebrows scrunched up in aggravation, giving him a threatening glare, as his eyelids shot open and he railed into them. “We not only just repaired the training grounds but expanded them and built new ones. If you’ve already destroyed the new ones then go use the old ones or train in the forest like Masrur and Spartos. Yamuraiha, I’m sure you haven’t used everything in your budget and if you have you’ll have to wait. Until Ja’far gives me the new forms to sign for both new funds and or a larger budget, you’ll both have to wait.” His eyes shot from Sharrkan to Yamuraiha as he spoke respectively while the two stood there on opposite sides of the room like frightened hamsters. “Anything else? No? Good.” He finished with a flourish of his quill, signing off on a document he had been reading for the past four hours and moving on to the next with a vengeance.

The two generals feared by nations, and that could even take on a trained metal vessel user alone, took this as their cue for dismissal and shoved their way out the door, trying to be the first one out and not receive any further lashing, unwittingly running into Ja’far on their way out.

“Wha-” The interloper’s question cut short as the two shot him fearful glances and motioned for him to run before fast retreating to lick their wounds.

“What just happened.” The freckled man asked in confusion, pointing warily down the hall where the two fleeing figures had disappeared through.

The constant interruptions were beginning to dance on Sinbad’s last nerves as he clenched his fists, cracking the poor quill in his grip. “Can no one see I am trying to do some much needed paperwork!” He said slamming his fists on the hard wooden desk in anger. 

His outburst had no effect on Ja’far who was used to far worse tantrums, who sighed exasperatedly to himself over his King’s child-like-tantrum, at the moment very much not the king vessel of legend.

“Oh?” Ja’far asked in a hard tone. “The paperwork I had handed you seven hours ago to read and sign while I handled more important issues that you have been pushing off for weeks now.” It was phrased like a question but came out more a threatening declaration of fact. Not so subtly calling the King of Sindria an incompetent idiot with the worst case of procrastination Ja’far had ever seen. 

The king in response chose to scribble on the corner of a trade document with some third party company instead of replying, whistling innocently to himself while avoiding eye contact with the younger man at all costs. His previous drive and anger doused by the wicked killing intent leaking off the trained assassin.

Ja’far walked briskly around the desk before violently throttling Sinbad for turning all his hair grey in his mid-twenties. “I. Give. You. A. Simple. Task. And this is what I come back to!?” He finished by throwing the king back into his chair with force.

“Tch.” The king of Sindria pouted, resting his chin on his knuckles while Ja’far ranted on, half chastising the king and half checking what documents were most pertinent to be signed, shoving various trade agreements and permits under the otherwise preoccupied man’s nose. Said man who was attempting to see through the wall and over the horizon in a vain attempt to spot the object of his frustration.

“Here.” Ja’far said, thrusting a piece of paper into his face.

Sinbad sighed before he graciously took and signed it. Wordlessly and without pause, the two started working in tandem. Ja’far would hand him a document and Sinbad signed it without a second glance. 

“What’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing.” 

“Are you sure?”

“Yes.” Sinbad grit out through clenched teeth. Ja’far made a mental reminder to ask Yamuraiha to check Sin’s teeth later for cracks with how hard he was grinding them. The noise was worryingly audible in the silent office 

“Yamuraiha and Sharrkan don’t often run, and perhaps most worrying is that you’ve been doing actual work without complaint or begging for a break. Something is wrong.” Ja'far’s eyebrows knitted in worry as he checked Sinbad’s forehead with the back of his hand for fever. 

“Have you been feeling well?” 

“I’m fine.” Sinbad said, irritably flapping Ja’far’s hands away from his head. Resting his head on his folded arms with a ‘harumph’ after he successfully slapped away the intruding limbs.

Ja’far watched him warily from the corner of his eyes, like one did a cornered animal, waiting for something. But Sinbad opted to mope instead. The advisor let out a sigh, pulling a folded piece of paper from within his robes and presenting it to the morose plum headed king. 

“What is it?” The man asked, taking it from his advisor’s outstretched hand.

Ja’far shuffled awkwardly from foot to foot before replying. “It’s nothing much, just reports I’ve managed to scrounge up about weird happenings on the Eastern Continent. Some of them are being called miracles and I thought… you might like to see them.” Sinbad now gave the originally nondescript paper his full attention with terrifying zeal, eyes darting over the scribbled lines while Ja’far continued. “It’s not much, just some stories and accounts of strange events happening but there’s one thing consistent with some accounts. And that’s the appearance of a blue-haired woman causing havoc before disappearing without a trace. We haven’t been able to find a pattern and I’ve yet to ask or inform Yamuraiha for her opinion on the matter.” 

Sinbad once more read over the information, committing the brief eyewitness accounts and some vague informant to memory. And so far Ja’far had been correct in his assessment and there was no rhyme or reason. Which was what was most infuriating about the situation. One report had her supposedly on the border of Kou about six months ago, another three months ago had her in Qishan, and another in Balbadd a year ago. She was all over the place... or at least someone like her was, however unlikely that was to be.

“We have a more pressing issue though.” Ja’far interrupted his thoughts and half baked plans to drag  _ his  _ Magi home to Sindria. “Balbadd has halted trade with us, we have a few months before we start feeling any serious impact but it’s best we act soon.” 

“Have they given an official reason?” 

“Not any that we can find other than an increase in their trade with Kou, but we have a hunch that that organization has been meddling there, but nothing concrete yet.” 

Sinbad smiled to himself getting up and waving for Ja’far to follow. His heart thumping in excitement at the very notion of an exciting adventure and venting his frustration by pounding some scum into the ground.

A not so insignificant part of his brain hoped that a certain blue-haired magi would be there as well. 

* * *

**_Outside the Capital of Kou (Rakushou)_ **

Kouen sat in silent contemplation, listening to his generals debate strategies for their upcoming campaign onto the eastern half of the continent. One hand rolled strategy pieces while he rested his head on the other as he decided where to place them. Slowly, he moved them across the board with concentrated strokes to map out the number of troops he had, where his siblings will be, possible enemy troop positions, and other such important information.

In three months time he would set out with his brothers to prepare the troops for upcoming marches, sending out delegations to try and coerce neighboring nations to join them peacefully, lest the full might of the empire strikes.

It was one of these delegations that had him worried the most, his sister’s. Kougyoku was to depart to Balbadd in a month's time with her escort but rumors of a strange power causing upheaval in the region had him unsure of the best move. Reports of the mysterious fourth magi having reached his ears, even more of an enigma than the magi Yunan by causing upheaval and change wherever she went. She was like a sudden Summer storm that blew in from the sea without warning to wreak havoc on coastal towns and cities and then vanish the next day. 

The marriage itself was just a formality to seal Balbadd’s alliance, the country was too bankrupt and destitute to do anything more than bow to their whims. Still, perhaps upping Kougyouku’s guard wouldn’t hurt. 

There were however other pressing matters that required his attention first. 

“Koumei how is Hakuei progressing with the Kouga?” 

“Ah, my king,” His brother said, startling from his mid-afternoon nap. Kouen squashed the annoyance at his brother once again falling asleep in the meeting and not paying attention, “her troops have made contact with a few of their outlying villages and are on their way to meet with the leader of the Kouga clan, they should be there within the month.” 

Hakuei was young but capable nonetheless, but her inexperience made him hesitate. 

Better to be safe than lose another foothold on the western campaign. “Koumei, I want you and a retinue to go and ensure that everything runs smoothly.” 

His brother sighed in exhaustion, as if he had already traveled to Hakuei’s camp and back. “With respect, my future king and brother, I feel that my skills would be better spent here with you than aiding Hakuei-sama in her endeavors. I feel that she is very much capable of leading the army delegated to her.”

The tent was silent while his commanders waited for him to gather his thoughts. While his brother’s words spoke true they were not what he was worried about. The Kouga were a fierce tribe and widely dispersed over the continent. It would take months to subdue the majority of them, let alone all, should they resist. Their best solution was to earn their allegiance peacefully with as little bloodshed as possible. It was paramount that Hakuei’s peace talks succeeded.

“While I understand your concerns- there is too much hinging on her success. Take a small unit and simply observe.” Kouen commanded, Koumei simply grumbled lightly into his metal vessel in response. 

“Understood.”

“Listen up everyone!” Kouen stood, grabbing those gathered in the tent’s attention. “Soon everything shall belong to the Kou empire! Let nothing stand in our way on our path to uniting this world under one king!”

Raucous booming shouts erupted within and around the tent as soldiers cheered.

* * *

**_Qishan_ **

It had been a long day for Alibaba, but that would soon be over! All he had to do was put these last barrels of fruit in the caravan. Opening the tarp and putting them down next to the sleeping woman surrounded by melon rinds. 

Sleeping woman… 

Melon rinds… 

Sleeping woman? 

Melon rinds?!

He shoved the curtain back to see the woman was now awake and chewing on an apple. Long blue hair tied in a tight braid falling over her shoulders while she munched unaware of her audience.

“Yo!” She said, finally taking notice of the horrified teen. “I’m Aladdin. I’m a traveler! Isn’t this fruit just delic-”


	2. To Start Again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alibaba deals with a stalker and Aladdin learns a little about Alibaba.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was a meaty monster to write and I regret nothing.
> 
> I fully admit to paraphrasing a bit but who doesn't when writing an AU

Alibaba had been through a lot in his life.

He grew up in poverty and watched his mother die.

He was stripped away from everything he had ever known.

Betrayed by a friend he considered a brother.

And worked under Budel, a cruel buffoon of a boss that made obese irritated baboons a paragon of composure by comparison.

But perhaps his most trying challenge from god had been to watch what had to be the most infuriating woman receive all the attention from the lovely ladies of the red lights district.

“Oh ho! Oh ho! Oneesan, please, please I can’t take any more of this!” The blue-haired woman laughed, surrounded by a dozen or so hosts all too eager to serve the blue clad woman. Several were serving her food while three worked on massaging her limbs, and at least one was flirting with the raucous traveler. If they weren’t trying to butter her up they were feeding her gossip and compliments like it was free. Which it wasn’t… because he was paying.

Wait! Why?!

This woman had literally popped up out of nowhere, gotten Alibaba in trouble more times in one day than his entire life, eaten him out of house and home, and was now enjoying a great time on his coin!

Clutching his head and letting out a frustrated scream.

It was so silent in the usually boisterous brothel that someone on the busy street outside could probably mistake the building for closed. Every head turned to Alibaba, and a few peeping around corners to make sure no one was dying. The blonde’s face growing redder by the minute and making him look more and more like a ripened fruit by the second.

“Ah-ha, ah-ha, ah-ha, my bad everyone, just remembered something important! You see I’ve just had a very long stressful day. Nothing to see here.” He lamely tried to smooth over, waving his hand off to the people who had come out of the private rooms to see his spectacle, trying to shoo them off.

Slowly, the party atmosphere came back, but people kept shooting him worried looks.

His hands gripping each other tightly in frustration as he tried to remember the many reasons he had ended up in this situation in the first place. It’s not like he was made of money, and time was precious.

…

**Early that day**

_“What the hell do you think you were doing, huh?” Alibaba asked holding the mysterious woman by her blue robes._

_“I was hungry, so I was making a meal of these sweet red fruits! I haven’t had them in a while you see, and-”_

_She was cut off by Alibaba who began to get in her face with a blank murderous look. “Don’t ‘see’ me…” Alibaba began. Thoughts of murder running through his mind while he quickly made a list and checked off all the best places to hide a recently deceased body. The dump would do… yeah, the dump sounded nice. Lots of bums and the smell of rot already present._

_His plans were cut short though as his bosses muffled cries were heard from outside the tarp._

_“Oi! Is Alibaba around?”_

_Alibaba could just barely hear the sound of the man and his entourage approaching, the two burly men almost like Budel’s shadow as they never left his side. Quickly popping his head out to see the man flanked by his henchmen approaching. Well, the henchmen approached, Budel more waddled closer, like a lumbering obese orangutan. “I’m right here sir!’ Trying to hide the missing and eaten fruit from view with his body. As much as he might like to imagine dumping the crazy woman's body in the well he didn’t actually want her dead._

_At least not yet._

_“Are you done loading for the day yet?” Budel asked._

_“Yes sir!”_

_“Then let me see.” The obese man ordered boredly, clearly just having woken up despite the sun already high in the sky._

_Panicking, Alibaba stood, grabbing Budel by the shoulder in a vain attempt to lead the easily agitated man away. “Oh you don’t want to see that sir, please, follow me and I’ll show you how we’ve secured the wines. I think you’ll be very pleased to see I got us a better deal on some of the horses. How about I-”_

_Budel shoving past Alibaba, ignoring the teens attempt to distract him like he was an insignificant gnat buzzing above his head. The large man absentmindedly swatted at him._

_“Quit yammering and just show me already!” One of his goons grabbed the exiled prince and shoved him to the ground. Forcing the teen to watch what was sure to be a public execution at worst, Budel was not known throughout Qishan for his understanding nature_

_Alibaba wished with all his might for the ground to swallow him up or some giant bird to swoop down and swallow him whole rather than suffer the incoming screaming fit that was sure to come from the overweight man._

_“Alibaba! What’s the meaning of this?!”_

_There it was. Alibaba tried desperately not to cover his ears and earn even more of the man’s undeserved ire than he already had. Hopefully, the woman would be let off with a warning and forced to pay for the fruit she had stolen. Better than the alternative of having her arm sliced off as penance._

_“Actually, sir, this is…” Trying to find the words._

_“Explain yourself! Why have you eaten my fruit!”_

_Huh._

_Alibaba. Him. Eaten the fruit?_

_“Ah, sir, no I… The woman, she, all the… fruit…”_

_“What woman?!” Budel barked, grabbing Alibaba by the ear as spittle flew past his lips in rage._

_“My apologies, Lord, the truth is some woman was eating the fruit when I arrived!”_

_“What woman?!” Budel wailed, yanking Alibaba by the ear and throwing open the caravan tarp to show the bodies of the eaten fruit but no woman in sight._

_“Don’t mess with me you brat! Making up lies to cover up your own gluttonous appetites!” Ironic coming from the overweight man who was well known in Qishan for always being near something edible. “You’re gonna pay for this! You’re working for me without pay until I’ve been reimbursed! No way you are getting out of this, you hear?” Budel said as he ground his heel into Alibaba’s scalp._

_Alibaba had to work hard to resist lashing out at the man who had become his boss. Taking his punishment with as much pride as he could muster._

_For the rest of the day, Budel worked him like a dog. Forcing him to labor under the hot desert sun as much as he could. Denying Alibaba food or water and skipping any and all breaks. The teen worked well into the cold desert night before Budel was satisfied._

…

Right.

And then Alibaba went home where…

…

_“Dammit! Budel, you bastard… I’ll make you regret treating us workers like dogs once I conquer Amon. And the thieving woman, totally ditching me! If I run into her… I’ll- I’ll…” Alibaba mumbled to himself in the cool of his apartment, falling with a thwump onto the ratty carpet on the floor. A gnawing empty hunger clawing at his stomach walls, his body making its much-known need for sustenance evident with a pitiful gurgle._

_He was so hungry he could swear he heard the sound of a crisp apple being cut, even the sound of discarded peels hitting the ground with a soft ‘plump’. It was only when he saw an apple peel lying in front of him that he looked up. Lazily following old worn geometric patterns of blue robes to see that same woman from before. His knife in hand as she cut off a slice of the ripe fruit before popping it in her mouth. Her eyes looking back as she chewed, hands already working at cutting off another slice._

_His body’s screams of protest ignored, Alibaba sat up and pointed an accusatory finger in shocked silence. The only sound in the room was the lady’s chewing, shoving in another slice before she was finished with the first. Her cheeks puffing up like a hamster._

_“Haaaaah!” Alibaba screamed for the second time today. The woman simply frowned at him and put her finger to her lips before giving him a quick ‘shoosh!’, as if he was the one who had barged into her home in the middle of the night and eaten her food after he got her in trouble with her boss earlier. “Don’t shush me! What the hell are you doing in my house!” Alibaba demanded. “How did you even get my knife?!” He asked while patting himself down. Sure enough it was out of his scabbard and not some weird fluke. “And why the hell are you eating my food! Seriously,” he screeched while looking in the basket he normally kept food in, “How’d you eat it all!” He didn’t know whether to be impressed or not that she had eaten what had to be a full basket of fruit just earlier today!_

_“What’s wrong?” She asked, cocking her head to the side. Was she seriously not understanding the picture? “You gave me some earlier before, remember?”_

_“I never gave you-” Exhaustion and frustration now taking over as he slumped back down. Accepting his lot in life and letting his head rest against the wicker basket._

_“Man, now I really gotta capture a dungeon, or I’ll be sucked dry. No thanks to you.” He pointedly accused the woman, shooting her a dirty glare as she propped herself on the floor._

_“Oh!” She exclaimed, so you’re really going after it then?” She asked with a glint of… something in her eye._

_“What do you mean by that?” He asked, getting up to munch on a piece of dried meat. Not the best thing in the world but it would get him through the night at least. His already parched and dry tongue burning from the meat’s salted hide._

_“Well, I just heard you say you were going to do it earlier at the market.” She said looking up absentmindedly, shoving a pinky in her ear like she was having trouble hearing. “Not many would make that jump, especially so young.”_

_“Who wouldn’t want to capture a dungeon though.” He said to no one in particular, as if it was normal to risk your life for what was a sure-fire way of being killed. Your body lost and unretrievable. Your family not knowing how you died, only that it was for some pipe dream at best. Grabbing a well-worn scroll from an alcove. “Whoever captures them can claim enormous wealth and power. Gold and silver treasures, and magical items… stuff like that!” Common knowledge since Sinbad first conquered Baal fifteen years ago._

_The woman leaning forward and propping her head on her hand, watching Alibaba trace longingly over the image of treasure and magical tools._

_“Rumor has it there’s still a genuine sorcerer around somewhere, but…” He tiredly rubbed at his eye, not knowing why he was explaining this to another adult, especially one that looked older than him. “Whatever you find in the dungeons is for real. Flying carpets. Urns that gush wine. And the ultimate find is something called a metal vessel containing a djinn…” Rubbing his eyes._

_The realm of slumber calling his name like a desert mirage a thirsty and desperate man to water._

_The last thing Alibaba saw before his world became dark was the woman smiling gently at him. It reminded him of his mom somehow. Why was she smiling like that at him?_

…

_The following morning found Alibaba in a haze. His eyes opened to take in the same lady from yesterday sitting cross-legged before him. He had actually never gotten a good look at her yesterday._

_She was wearing a blue dress made from a thick cloth, golden embroidery painting geometric patterns into it. The gown's sleeves stopping just below the elbows as a secondary garment underneath came out and covered her forearms. It had beautiful flowers and accents of geometric design, not unlike the nobility of Qishan wore or had engraved in their architecture. From a distance, Alibaba probably would have mistaken her for one, but that was where the similarities ended. Her garments were well worn, with the blue dulled with age and the gold looking more and more like a coppery yellow. But despite its clear age, it was well cared for._

_She said she was a traveler, not many had the funding for such a hobby. Maybe she was some noble from a land Alibaba wasn’t familiar with. He vaguely remembered seeing such clothes in the markets and ports of Balbadd when he was living at the palace. A lifetime ago._

_Sitting up, he felt something soft slide off him._

_Rubbing an eye while reaching his free hand out to pull something soft that had bunched up around his knees where it had fallen. An old, but well-kept cloth. It had the same embroidery from on the lady's gown around the edge, but where the lady’s clothes were blue with a golden accent, her cloth was white-bodied with a deep navy embroidery on the edge. It was well made._

_She must have draped it over him before she fell asleep last night._

_Speaking of her._

_Alibaba looked back at her peacefully sleeping form._

_She had fallen asleep in a sitting position, her back resting comfortably against the cool stone wall. A long braid of blue hair draped over one shoulder, shining in the morning light as it crept through the windows. A red jewel resting on her brow, held in place by a golden chain. Her features could best be described as angelic, a small nose and large... open... blue eyes._

_Alibaba most certainly did not scream as he scrambled back, hitting the opposite wall with a heavy thud. But the woman didn’t move._

_Not even after Alibaba waved a hand in front of her face. She just remained there sitting against the wall breathing peacefully as if in a trance._

_'Did she… did she fall asleep with her eyes open?! Who the hell did that!' Alibaba thought._

_With the weirdness of this kind creepy, and very hungry, woman mounting, Alibaba did the sensible thing. He got up, tiptoed quietly to the door, and left without making a sound._

…

Alibaba cringed to himself at that last memory. Looking through the corner of his eye to where Aladdin, she had reminded him of her name at the market, was watching him worriedly. The hosts surrounding her asking if everything was alright and quickly getting flustered as the previously flirtatious and chatty woman had fallen silent. Instead, she chose to watch Alibaba like a hawk. Waiting for him to make a move on some invisible chessboard.

Weird, but in the grand scheme of things that had happened today, but not the weirdest.

No. That had happened soon after he had left his apartment.

…

_Stalking through the back alleys of Qishan on his way to work, taking a few extra side turns and detours to ensure pesky blue themed women weren’t following him._

_“Leaving me all alone, that’s pretty mean!” The lady pouted, puffing her cheeks in irritation while Alibaba clutched his chest, trying to stop a heart attack. The lady had quite literally fallen from the sky to land in front of Alibaba like it was completely normal. She was wearing the white cloth that she had draped over him like a blanket earlier on her head like a thick veil, not uncommon in the desert among the richer women. And she was leaning on a staff, old wood carved lovingly into a shepherd's crook. It was taller than her by a little over a foot, with a what could only be described as a ball at the bottom that came to a point, kinda like an acorn._

_“Don’t follow me!” He shouted in a panic. The woman only pouting more at him like she was doing Alibaba a favor by giving him grey hairs. Alibaba shoved past her and hurriedly walked away._

_The woman following behind at a lazy pace, her stride keeping pace with Alibaba who was near running through the backstreets of Qishan to get away. But no matter how fast he ran or what way he took, even jumping over a few roofs, she was always five feet behind him. Keeping pace with Alibaba like wasn’t running a damn marathon to avoid her._

_“Stop stalking me dammit!” Alibaba finally cried, taking a brief respite near a well and knocking back water like his life depended on it. Which it very well might have since he hadn’t realized how thirsty he was until he started running, yesterday’s events finally catching up to him._

_“Hey Alibaba-Kun,” She started, sitting on a nearby bench and petting a bug that had landed on the back of her hand... Kun? Petting a bug? How much weirder was this woman going to get? When the hell had he told her his name?! Oh right, stalker. “Those dungeons you mentioned last night, you didn’t happen to mean Amon, right?” She said looking up at the towering structure at the center of Qishan._

_It was like the city was built to be around it, even though it had been standing long before the dungeon had risen. It’s prosperity swelling as the city went from a little known trading outpost for caravans to take a rest at, to a landmark city that was easy to find in the twisting deadly sands of the wastes thanks to the towering structure._

_Alibaba looked up at well, seeing the white alabaster walls of the circular spire. Gouts of flame occasionally spurting from it’s golden accents. “Yeah, I’m going after Amon… as well as the other dungeons left in the world. And I'm going to clear them before anyone else. And I’m going to become the richest man in the world!” His eyes hardening as he looked on, the sun climbing higher in the blue sky. “Just you watch.” He said to no one in particular, fists tightening on the stone well’s walls._

_Aladdin seemed kind of surprised by this, but smiled gently to herself, watching as the colorful pink beetle that had taken a rest on her hand flew off. “Is that so?”_

_‘Is that so?’ Alibaba parroted in his head. Once more looking at the woman to see her playing with more bugs that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Colorful beetles climbing on her robes or flying lazily about her. Colorful critters they were that glimmered brightly in the sunlight, looking more like glossy flower petals than actual insects._

_Most people would be grossed out or at least concerned to be surrounded by such a growing audience of six-legged crawlies. But the lady just sat there, holding some to her face like they were whispering gossip to her._

_Hell, they might as well be with how weird his day was going._

_Sighing to himself before standing. No small feat as his body was still recovering from yesterday’s toil and his now completed marathon. Walking past the bluenette who only watched in puzzlement before scrambling to follow him, once more walking at least five feet behind him, both hands holding onto her shepherd's crook._

_“Listen,” Alibaba spoke over his shoulder, the woman perking up at the attention. “I don’t have time to mess around with you. So just go…” He looked over his shoulder in irritation, the woman looking expectantly at him, “I don’t know, whatever it is creepy ladies who appear out of nowhere do.” Flapping his hand in gesture for her to shove off and leave him alone._

_Her only response to tilt her head in befuddlement, the action causing her veil to become lop-sided which she hastily moved to pick up and resecure._

_Alibaba only sighed to himself, accepting that this was his fate and to move on._

_“I take it you like money then?” She asked, talking like one did the weather as she looked around at people going about their early morning activities._

_“Well yeah, seeing as I need it.” Shrugging to himself as he ascended one of the many stairs located throughout Qishan. “And by that I mean, enough to be able to buy a country…” Trailing off at the last part while unbidden memories began to well up. A feeling of longing settling deep in his heart._

_Thankful when the woman did ask any more questions as they continued on into the market. People milling about in the early morning before the sun reached its peak before it got unbearably hot and the midday rush made walking in the streets a balmy chore._

_“As long as you’ve got money, you can have anything you want. As much good food as you can eat, you know.” Alibaba said while picking up a melon, turning it over and observing it before realizing the price and his tightened budget. Shooting the woman an agitated glance. She at least had the decency to look startled from his accusatory glare, holding her hands up in a surrendering manner._

_“Ahem, delicious food does sound good.” She replied in kind, actually brightening up a bit. A sinking suspicion that Alibaba’s pockets were going to be significantly lighter by the end of the day falling like a lead weight into the pit of his already empty stomach._

_Maybe he deserved a splurge though, couldn’t hurt. And maybe, just maybe, he could weasel out some coin from this woman. Deciding to continue with his train of thought on the joys of money. “And the finest alcohol and pretty ladies-”_

_“Ah! Pretty ladies!”_

_The weirdness factor amped up even more, Alibaba watched as a grown woman became titillated at his half-assed thought of prostitutes. Honestly, it had come out of his mouth before his brain realized what he was saying. He was thinking she might be miffed or angry at his idea of what money could “buy”, not have his blood rush to his sorely confused and quickly reddening head._

_“How scandalous Alibaba-Kun!” The woman danced about, swinging her arms wide until she hit someone walking by absentmindedly. A red-haired girl in a long dress carrying a load of bright yellow fruit in a basket above her head._

_An impressive feat Alibaba thought._

_Aladdin laughed nervously before bending down to apologize to the girl and hand (cough cough probably eat) the red head’s fruit that had dropped from the basket._

_The girl wasted no time in swiping the fruit of the ground and juggling them up into the air and back into the basket._

_Alibaba sidled up to the lady, still wasn’t remembering her name he realized, and put himself in front of her since he would have to be the adult in the situation it seemed._

_“I’m so sorry.” He started into businessman mode. “Are you hurt? Can I carry your stuff for you?” The girl refused with a flat face and tone before walking past._

_Alibaba delivering a swift punch to his unwanted and troublesome companion, noticing the saddened look on her face. It worried Alibaba, cause even when he was angry or threatening her she had always seemed happy and at ease. Now though, she looked genuinely hurt. Her eyes deep wells of pain and sadness that Alibaba could see._

_“What’s your problem?” Alibaba asked, his features twisting in a mixture of confusion and worry._

_The woman simply pointed with one hand at the girl._

_“That.”_

_Alibaba turned and gasped as he saw the thick chains encompassed around her ankles. Those probably limited her mobility significantly._

_The girl however noticed them staring, and in an effort to hide what must have obviously been a deep source of shame for her, dropped her load. Fruits falling out until her basket was nearly empty. A crowd gathering to watch the spectacle._

_Shooting his companion a quick glance, Alibaba saw that she was conflicted between helping the girl or moving on. A feeling Alibaba felt almost daily but never knew or had the strength to help. Something that hadn’t changed since his old life in Balbadd ended it seemed._

_The two watching her struggle to hide her shame and pick up the fallen fruit as fast as she could, obviously unable to do both._

_“Pretty rotten world we live in, right?” Alibaba asked, turning to walk away but stopping when he saw the blue-clad woman’s expression._

_Her face was steeled, a seasoned expression that spoke of years worth of experience. Gone was the happy-go-lucky expression she had worn for what was most of Alibaba’s exasperated interactions with her. In its place stood cold determination and the unspoken power that this woman would and could move mountains if pushed._

_Taking a deep breath in through her nose before stepping past Alibaba, the crowd falling silent as he frantically whispered for her to come back and not make a scene before the guards arrived, they could get in serious trouble for distracting the wrong person's slave from their duties. But to no avail._

_She actually startled the girl onto her rear as she approached and stood before her, as tall as Amon with the aura she was radiating. Everyone's eyes on her. Raising her staff in what Alibaba was worried was a motion to strike the girl._

_So he looked away like the coward he was._

_Except there was no sound of wood meeting flesh._

_No pained yelp or scream._

_Only the uncharacteristic sound of something cracking, like a great monolith being cleaved in twain, the sound echoing through a canyon. Followed by the tinkling of metal on the cobbled street. A sound that seemed to reverberate along the usually bustling and noisy street._

_“There! They’re off now. Now you can walk without hiding your pretty legs, huh?” She said brightly, people whispering in the street after what they just witnessed._

_“What just happened?”_

_“Whose slave is that?”_

_“Did you hear that noise?”_   
  


_“It sounded like a mountain just cracked!”_

_“What do they think they’re doing?”_

_The crowd growing along with Alibaba’s anxiety._

_“Hey!” He whispered loudly, grabbing the woman by the shoulders and turning her around to see her calm expression. It was unnerving in the light of recent events. “You can’t just go around freeing people’s slaves!”_

_“Why not?” She asked, the picture of calm like her question had the most obvious answer in the world._

_And perhaps it did._

_But that was neither here nor now as Alibaba fished for a reply that wouldn’t have the woman recreate that same feat with the chains but on him. He really didn’t want to see what bodily harm she could cause if a simple strike with a wooden stick could cleave through wrought steel like it was a walnut._

_“Stealing slaves is a serious offense!” A voice lazily exclaimed behind him, content in every word._

_Alibaba gritted his teeth and turned to see his slave driver boss._

_The man walking up behind him and jabbing one of the fallen fruits into his cheek. “They’ll chop off an arm for that. And then how would you pay me back?”_

_“Come on now.” Alibaba started, fear running through his veins like hot iron while his taller companion simply watched with a calm, almost disappointed look that had Alibaba’s insides squirming. “How would we have even cut through chains, huh?” Letting out a worried chuckle, a result of his anxiety._

_“Now that’s a flimsy excuse…” The pig-like man started, dropping the yellow fruit like it was worthless and not the cause of all this. “If for some reason you fail to compensate me in full, hm?” Budel walked around Alibaba and put himself between the lady and Alibaba. “Then I’ll make you a slave. A slave’s life is a miserable existence, boy!” Grabbing the girl by the hair and lifting her up, talking like he knew what it was like to live with less than nothing when all he had ever known was the lap of luxury. “Even if someone does this to you…” He started, throwing the girl to the floor and stepping on her, grinding his heel in as he continued with more abuse._

_Sweat glistening down Alibaba’s face as he closed his eyes, unwilling to see another human’s pain while he stood by and did nothing._

_“Please stop, sir.” A calm voice spoke up._

_The lady looking at Budel with a calm, almost inhumane expression. She was like a statue of some divine being disappointed in their mortal charges._

_“What’s your problem, bitch? I’d be happy to report you to the executioner, you know…”_

_Alibaba was only able to watch in horror as Budel’s men ambushed them, a knife to his throat and the words caught in there._

_Budel gave them a pig eyed beady stare, veins popping in agitation on his forehead. And then, in that way greedy bootlickers like Budel get when they have an idea, Budel smiled. Now it wasn’t a smile like when people were happy, no it was smirk that people who felt entitled to other people got when they had an idea._

_“Of course then a beautiful woman such as yourself could possibly make me change my mind.” He said in what he must have thought was a seductive manner, obviously eyeing Alibaba’s compatriot in a hungry and lewd manner, like one did a piece of steaming meat or treasure sitting in the sun._

_A look that had something ignite in Alibaba. “Hey! Oi!” He started, struggling against his captors while Budel approached, about to place a hand on the woman before he fell to the ground clutching his bulbous stomach._

_The guards letting go and Alibaba stopping as both were confused as to what just happened while Budel gasped for breath on the cobblestones._

_And then it hit him. The lady had just speared Budel with her staff as he watched her right it, listening as it tapped softly on the ground with that distinctly wooden clunk while she looked at Budel like one did a cockroach or mold._

_Those two would actually be a preferable sight to Budel. Alibaba couldn’t help but think, watching as the pig-like man clutched at his gut rolling on the ground._

_Unfortunately the confusion didn’t last as Alibaba felt the cold metal of Budel’s thugs daggers dig into his skin, his arm twisted painfully behind his back as he stilled. His companion in much the similar position but had the luxury of both her arms unbound. The thug much more wary of the woman and her reflexes._

_Eventually, Budel managed to wheeze out a threat. “Or would you rather I executed you right here and now?!” Swiping his arm in a wide arc while he struggled to his feet._

_The street once more falling silent as everyone watched what should have been a quick slaughter of the two oddly colored interlopers._

_A pin could have been heard, or more aptly, two wooden taps on the stone floor._

_The thugs sent tumbling to the ground, taking Alibaba with them as the ground shook and quaked. The sound of stones cracking and gravel grinding as something burst from the ground. Alibaba watched in fascination as a great tree burst forth from the ground. Bough and branch twisting up and out as it grew to shade the street below it. Bright white blossoms coming into bloom before giving way to distinctly shaped yellow fruit. And then everything stopped._

_Hushed and awed whispers growing into a cacophony in the street as people rushed to see what was happening._

_Alibaba soon came to his senses and looked at the only one standing, the woman. Tall and radiant, her robes which had previously seen old and worn now appeared majestic in the lighting. She commanded authority and her every quiet breath seemed to exude power into her surroundings. Her eyes closed before opening to look up, as if talking to a higher power as she thought of what to do next._

_Tearing his eyes away, Alibaba looked to see what had happened to his captors. The thugs had been bound and entangled by the roots, reaching out to grasp and hold them like wooden shackles. Budel in much the same position except the wooden tentacles had hung him upside down by his feet and encircled his arms, stretching him into what must have been a very uncomfortable position._

_A loud smack reverberating through the street, followed by Budel’s howls of pain. She had just smacked him across his exposed belly with the flat curved side of her crook, leaving an unsightly and undoubtedly excruciating red mark. Budel soon passed out from pain and fright._

_“Hey! What’s this commotion?” Followed by the sound of panicking onlookers who were in the way of the town guard._

_Panic overwhelming Alibaba as he grabbed the woman’s arm and ran, dragging her behind him._

_Dashing through the crowd and ducking behind an alley only to realize it was a dead end._

_“Crap!”_

_“Oi! Down here let’s check!”_

_“Shit!” Alibaba swore. “Quick do that tree thing again! Quickly before they catch us!” Alibaba requested in a panic of the lady, shaking her back and forth._

_“Oh, mhm.” She hummed in reply, Alibaba letting her go, watching as she removed her veil and lay it on the ground._

_“Oi I said do that thing from before not have a picnic!” Alibaba screeched, listening to the guards now hurried steps as they had found their culprits._

_Alibaba screamed more though when he found himself yanked forward onto the veil before gravity took him hostage. Closing his eyes and gritting his teeth as the wind whipped him by. Opening them when he no longer felt the air moving quite so violently._

_“What the hell did you do?!” He exclaimed, looking over the edge of the veil to see Qishan shrinking away below them._

_They were flying._

_Holy shit they were flying!_

_Miles above Qishan, Alibaba felt what little contents he had in his stomach escape the way they came. A small torrent of bile falling down onto whatever unlucky person happened to be below. Hopefully Budel._

_Common sense soon took it’s unhappy hold and yanked him back to reality as he scrambled for the nearest solid object, the only other person. Alibaba held them in a tight embrace, looking at the edge with suspicion as he screamed in her ear._

_“Enough already!” The lady wailed, shoving her hands on Alibaba’s mouth and causing the boy to fall over. Panic setting in as he started to struggle._

_In response, the woman head-butted him while she pinned his arms. “You’re all right, see.” She said, her presence and tone somehow bringing him down and reassuring him that he wasn’t going to plummet to his death._

_Breathing deeply to himself, Alibaba lay there while the woman sat back and watched him, ready to leap on him again and knock him out if he started flailing again._

_In and out. He felt his chest rise and fall while he breathed deeply to himself, watching the clouds pass lazily overhead. The experience wasn’t unlike sitting on the rooftops back in Balbadd he decided. A strategy he was using to make himself feel more grounded as he thought of all the similar places he could be right now that made sense and didn’t rely on magical flying carpets._

_It was like sitting on a plateau, up above the palace ramparts, just watching the sky pass by as if he had no worries in the world. Bending his neck to look at his companion, realization slowly dawning in his eyes. This was a magician. And she had just saved his life._

_Granted it was a situation she had caused but still. Better safe and a mile high in the sky then dead._

_“Mah, so… you made that tree sprout out of the ground like… whoosh right?” He enquired lamely, not really having any real grasp on what had happened but an inkling was forming._

_“Hah.” The woman acknowledged him, clearly having just come out of her own world. “Oh that, yeah that was me.” She said smiling gently at him. “I hope I didn’t scare you too much._

_A million scenarios passed by his mind in an instant. Things like how he would get down and how she did that with the tree in the street below. But most importantly he was wondering how and if he could somehow convince this woman to help him._

_‘But first things first then. He decided in his head. If he was going to make this woman his partner, or at least ask for her help, he needed to know one thing._

_“What’s your name again?”_

…

And that's how he had gotten here. Well, after she had stopped looking at him in disappointment, that had admittedly stung. Aladdin had reiterated her name and profession, traveler, and the two had remained atop the skies of Qishan for a while until things had cooled down.

And then Alibaba set his plan into motion to win Aladdin to his side.

The first step in any business venture was to secure a relationship, and nothing did that better than good food and drink. So Alibaba had asked her to one of the many brothels where he knew good service could be found.

And if he happened to strike it lucky with a hostess, win-win right?

But he had no such luck in that last part.

Aladdin seemed to soak up attention like a sun-dried sponge dunked into a bucket. The many hosts and hostesses of the brothel had for some reason flocked to Aladdin, many popping by in between other clients to chat or serve the woman who easily flirted with any and all pretty people who ended up ensnared in her web. Leaving Alibaba to grit his teeth and hope the first part of his plan worked at least.

No one person had come out of Amon alive, but if all went well-

“How come you have such a depressed expression on Alibaba? Come on smile, I’m sure the pretty misses and misters would love to attend you more if you showed off that pretty smile!” Alibaba soon found himself in the embrace of Aladdin, who he had belatedly realized was quite well endowed herself, more so than the majority of the hostesses it seemed. His face grew red as he felt her boobs press into his back while her hot breath tickled his ear. He could smell the fine wine coming off her breath but the woman didn’t seem drunk quite yet. Though she could apparently drink like a fish much to the joy of the establishment's owner and the despair of Alibaba’s wallet.

“Ah, you know, I was just hoping to show you a good time. It’s fine, it’s fine.” He laughed lamely to himself.

But Aladdin seemed to take this as an insult to heart. Tilting Alibaba’s head back to look him in the eye, inadvertently resting his head on her breasts and not in any way helping Alibaba’s growing blush to subside. In the light of the brothels torches Aladdin’s skin glowed and she seemed ethereal in her beauty.

“Tonight’s about having fun Alibaba!” She said after a moment of thought, that concerned look leaving her face and being replaced with a happy one.

Alibaba really really really… really, wanted to jump into the fun. But at the same time he had to keep a clear head about him for the right time to ask for Aladdin’s help. His lips tightening in consternation as he tried to come up with a plan. Not noticing that Aladdin had come up with one of her own.

“Or is it something else bothering you?” She said moving around him, one hand keeping hold of his chin while she deftly maneuvered around the love seat. “Is it that you’ve never been to someplace like this, hm?” Her voice took on a seductive tone as she straddled him, cupping his jaw with both hands, forcing him to look up into her dark blue eyes. “This is quite the establishment to take a young woman such as myself. It can’t have been for the alcohol alone like you said earlier.” Leaning down to whisper in his ear once more, her hot breath tickling his ear and made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.

Leaning back to look down at him, licking her lips while her eyes became hooded. Alibaba only now realizing how low her dress was hanging on her, it had no straps or support and was in danger of falling low, too low for Alibaba’s frantic heart rate.

“Tell me Alibaba, do you think I’m beautiful?”

Beautiful? Did Alibaba think she was beautiful?! Of course, she was beautiful. What man wouldn't think she was. With silky long blue hair, an hourglass figure under loose-fitting clothes... breasts that could fell stronger men from twenty paces! She was a babe through and through! But she was a hot woman dangerously close and invading his personal space at the moment. A deadly combination to Alibaba.

The noise he made coming out in a high pitched and strangled noise that had no more air than to last a second. His face soon becoming an unsettlingly dark shade of red that had never before been accomplished by human beings.

He was deeply and intimately aware of Aladdin's breasts, the large endowments tantalizingly close but he was unable to look. Not out of propriety, however.

Aladdin’s hooded gaze looking deep into his own shocked and wide-eyed look. Alibaba couldn’t figure out the words to speak, too paralyzed by those blue deep pools that held his own golden eyes locked in place. The answers to the universe swimming just underneath the surface. A bead of cold sweat trickling down his neck.

Then he felt a pat and heard Aladdin say, more like a scream for the whole brothel to hear, “Yup, he’s a virgin! Ahmar, you owe me five gold!” And then she trounced back off to her possi of hysterically laughing hosts, most of them pointing and holding their stomachs in a fit of hysteria towards Alibaba’s reaction.

The poor former prince felt like turning to dust, his soul leaving his body and ascending to wherever it is they go when they die. Maybe he was already dead and Aladdin was his punishment for the sins he had committed in another life.

Before finally finding his voice. “Oi oi oi! What the hell do you think you’re doing!” He angrily shouted at Aladdin who was busy collecting coins from people who had bet on Alibaba’s innocence. The look on her face asking if it was not obvious.

Tightening his fist as Aladdin’s words rang in his head. Something like resentment bubbling up inside him.

“Give me your finest hostess!” Alibaba cried out, standing up and thrusting his hand in the air. Aladdin cheered along with the other gathered hosts and hostesses of her party before she left him. Saying something about not enjoying himself too much before she sauntered back to her awaiting admirers. It seemed even a few patrons had come to pay homage to the beautiful woman and join her impromptu party.

So Alibaba sat in anticipation waiting for the number one hostess to appear. Anticipation melting away to reveal his old frenemy anxiety.

“Thank you for being patient.” A soft bird-like voice spoke.

_Here she is!_

Alibaba felt the fabric of the lounge dip as she sat down beside him.

“I’m surprised you’re not sitting with your lover over there, she seems quite center of attention. Most people wouldn’t come out to a place like this with someone like that close to their heart, and bed.” The woman implied, the images doing nothing to abate his quickening heart rate and growing blush.

Coughing into his fist, Alibaba tried to take hold of the situation. “Oh.” He started coughing once more. “She’s actually not my… lover…” His blush coming back full force. “In truth she’s not even really a friend.” Choosing to lay on thick the sob story and hopefully swing some empathy (cough cough pity) points. “I’ve decided to never make friends anymore, see,” Cupping his chin with his hand and looking away abashedly. 

Turning to see the obviously beautiful face of the number one hostess.

Only to be shocked by what he saw.

Now Alibaba normally would never say a woman was unsightly, there was a match for every person he liked to think. But this woman, Elizabeth, he would learn, was really testing that theory.

“I am renowned as the most competent hostess of this establishment, bar none. I am pleased to make your acquaintance!” And from there, Alibaba’s night went from hopeful and fun to terror-inducing pain that should have only been reserved for the most abhorrent of scum.

He would have screamed if he could breathe, but Elizabeth’s embrace was like being crushed in the jaws of some mighty beast.

And then, it was mercifully over. The brothel owner came over to let them know their time was up.

Heading to the counter in a daze and willing to accept the inevitable heart attack from the bill they had racked up, mostly Aladdin.

“Oh!” The hostess managing the front counter said, a cute brunette with her hair in two side buns, “She already paid, and besides, the owner liked her so much he comped most of the wine.” The hostess pointed at Aladdin who was slowly sauntering out the door, dancing to some invisible tune and singing about pretty ladies and prettier men.

_Aladdin paid for them? When and where did she get the money?_ Alibaba thought while patting himself down to make sure he still had his wallet.

Confirming it was still there and all full.

“I’m actually surprised you and your wife would come out here together, not many couples would be so adventurous. Make sure you and your wife come back again! It was a joy serving you!” The lady waved as Alibaba walked towards the door in a confused and beaten trance.

Her words caught up to him only after the door slammed shut behind them, screaming “She’s not my wife!” while banging on the door.

“Oi! Oi! It’s not what it looks like! I’m still a cool and definitely single bachelor!” His fist started to sting from where he was repeatedly pounding the sturdy wooden door. Choking as something hard wrapped around his throat and yanked him back.

“Mah mah, Alibaba-Kun, no reason to panic after such a fun night!” Alibaba heard, turning to see Aladdin smiling and waving her free hand placatingly at him, rubbing his sore throat from where her crook had yanked him. “Besides, I had such a good time I decided to start tipping the pretty Oniisans and Oneesans and before I knew it I had accidentally paid for us!” Laughing loudly to herself while Alibaba felt a boiling rage start to come up.

“You mean you’ve actually had money all this time!” He said grabbing the taller woman by the robes and shaking her back and forth. “Then why the hell did you eat the fruit in the cart? Or not buy a room at an inn and instead bug me? Huh, Huh!? Is this some kind of joke to you?” Alibaba wailed angrily, tears of frustration running down his cheeks while Aladdin just laughed in reply.

Finally having enough and shoving Aladdin to the dirty cobbles of the red lights district, the woman in blue simply smiled with her eyes closed in contented joy from her new location on the ground.

“You’re a hard one to find you damned rat!” An all too familiar voice grit out. And what little of Alibaba’s good night flew out into the distance, much like his lunch earlier that day.

The two turned to see Budel who was still carrying the angry red imprint of Aladdin’s crook, it throbbed and looked like it wasn’t going away anytime soon.

“If you have money to spend on partying, how about making good on your debt?”

Alibaba coughed into his fist, grabbing his clothes and attempting to right them to appear more presentable in front of his boss. “You’re right,” Alibaba said, everyone actually stopping, shocked to hear him say he’d pay his debts so casually.

“Don’t tell me you’ve struck it big in one night, have you?” Budel sneered.

“Not quite,” Alibaba smirked, swiftly looking to Aladdin who was surprised to find his attention on her.

“Aladdin.” He said, “Pay the man.”

“....Hah?” Aladdin asked, a blank look on her face. “But I don’t have any money.” Tilting her head to the side in innocence.

“But you just paid off the tab in the brot- I mean, bar!” Alibaba screeched at the woman, she could pay for booze and hookers but not pay off **her** debts from stealing?! What logic did this grown woman abide by!

“I just used the last of what Sin gave me. I don’t have anything else!” She said, smiling at the last part.

“Right… Ahmm mhmm, please disregard my last statement then, I don’t have your money right now…” Alibaba recovered, smiling with more confidence than he had any right to.

Budel’s contentious hum doing nothing to stop Alibaba’s growing irritation.

“But I’ve made up my mind to enter Amon! Once I’ve captured it, I’ll pay up in full!”

The street eerily silent before Budel and his two henchmen started laughing like a group of drunken apes. Mocking him before Budel gave him the warning about not skipping town, something Alibaba would never do.

“All right, make your choice now. Either get yourself arrested right here, or work for me till the day you die, hmm?” The fat man gestured, his guards raising their now much bigger weapons in threat.

Alibaba looked to Aladdin, expecting an answer or advice, only to find that strange look on her face, like she was waiting for him. Trying to figure out what Alibaba wanted to do before she did anything.

Of course, the choice was obvious.

…

And that’s how Alibaba found himself driving a cart through the desert, transporting wine in a venture that would most likely see them dead by monster, bandits, or giant man-eating plants. Listening to Budel and his philosophies on people being destined to be slaves, as if they somehow deserved to have their freedom stripped away for another human’s benefit. Aladdin still followed him for some reason, though she said she’d probably move on now in her journey.

Alibaba would be lying if he said he wouldn’t miss the migraine in human form, having grown somewhat fond of her over the past forty-eight hours.

But it wasn’t all bad. Budel seemed to have an unhealthy fear of Aladdin and had jumped carts the moment she shot him a glare. So now it was just Alibaba and her sitting at the head of the caravan.

“Do you want to travel, Alibaba-Kun?” Aladdin asked, the young blond turning to look at her but she wasn’t looking at him. Her gaze firmly fixed on the horizon, expressionless and displayed no emotions.

Alibaba swallowed the lump in his throat. “I like to travel, but I have to-”

“I asked if you want to travel, Alibaba-Kun.”

Taken aback by her commanding tone, Alibaba hazarded another peak but found nothing in her face, the only movement her swaying with the cart.

“Yes.” He finally replied, gripping the reins in frustration. Why was she asking anyways? If anything he felt jealous of her. Not only could she travel on her own, but she seemed powerful, or at least lucky enough, to weather through whatever torment the world threw her way. She had somehow managed to endear herself to Alibaba after giving him hell on Earth with her insanity.

“I think you're a liar, Alibaba-Kun." he heard her say, the words biting into his ears like daggers to the heart. "If you keep lying like that, then nobody- not even you won’t believe yourself anymore, will you?” Turning her head to stare at him with the weight of the world behind her eyes. An almost saddened look before she turned her head back to the road.

A crushing feeling that Alibaba tried to swallow but couldn’t under the weight, hanging his head in shame while egging the camels on.

The sun slowly dipping lower and lower as the day wore on till it reached late into the evening, at this rate they’d have to stop and make camp. A dangerous prospect this far from any town or outpost.

And despite them taking precautions with guards, trouble found them.

The ground rising up and bursting. It could have been anything really. An earthquake, underground vent, a new geyser, but Alibaba knew better. Cracking the whip on his carts camels while the rest of the caravan kicked it into overdrive in an attempt to avoid the deadly desert hyacinth.

But all was for naught as Alibaba’s own cart lost a wheel in the ensuing panic, another cart was overturned, and anything that hadn't become a sitting duck or by some miracle made it away was soon smashed by the writhing tendrils of the plant monster. Budel ordered Alibaba to help him unload while Aladdin simply hopped off the cart and walked towards the edge.

“Oi, Aladdin, get back from the edge!” Alibaba shouted.

“Too late!” Budel yelled, a stray vine coming down right on top of Aladdin who was still approaching the edge without a care in the world.

“Aladdin!”

A crack like thunder and the sound of electricity racing as a yellow light encased Aladdin, shielding her from the blow and cracking the hard-packed earth. For a moment Alibaba swore he saw birds dancing around her but it was gone after he blinked. Ignoring Budel cries for him to leave her for dead, Alibaba grabbed Aladdin by the arm, sprinting away before another vine smashed into the ground where they had previously been standing.

The impact caused the cliff that had formed around the flower to crumble, and Alibaba watched as the same slave-girl from before fell to her death while trying to save a little girl. Budel having pushed the mother who was just about to grab them out of the way to save a single casket of wine from taking a possible dive.

Watching numbly as the leaves closed around the girls, the mother wailed and tried to get down there and help them while two others held her back from dying. It wouldn’t attack while it digested its prey. Budel took this as their cue to leave, not caring that two lives would be lost while he stood by.

It was just like that day, when the palace burned and his father died. When he ran away in shame, lost and not knowing what to do.

_They’re all going to die… somebody!_

Alibaba looked desperately for anyone to do something.

Aladdin!

Turning to see the Aladdin watching him, the desert breeze swaying her veil as she watched him impassively, judging, waiting.

Why wasn’t anyone doing anything?! Why wasn’t she doing anything!

Why wasn’t he?

And then he heard something that made his blood boil. Made him want to scream and punch the world for all the pain it had caused him in his life. Mom, Marriam, the girls currently dying… Kassim.

“All right, I’ll reimburse you for the brat. How much do you want for her?”

He felt it rather than saw or even remembered it, the punch he delivered to Budel’s face that the selfish pig had coming for the longest time.

_Somebody my ass!_

Actually sending the overweight man flying a good distance. “I’ll be damned if you buy someone’s life with that rotten wine of yours! You bastard!” Grabbing the wine and leaping down into the pit.

_All those people, how can I sit by and let them suffer? No more… no more standing by and watching and regretting it later! Even if it… even if it kills me, I’ll save them!_

Bashing into the fleshy petals of the monster, trying to get inside, begging and bartering for it to open so he could use its weakness against it.

“Come on, open your mouth, dammit!”

The ground-shaking once more, sending dust and debris flying.

_Shit, not another one!_

Thick wooden tendrils shooting out of the ground and whipping past him. Alibaba watched in confused awe as the roots ingrained themselves in the outer layer, slowly peeling back the see-through purple petals and letting the digestive fluid inside gush out. 

“Now’s your chance, Alibaba-Kun!” Alibaba heard Aladdin shout, looking up to see her standing in the shade of a mighty tree, thick branches reaching up almost as tall as the palace in Balbadd. But he didn’t have time to take in the scenery.

Picking up the wine once more, Alibaba threw it inside the monster's open mouth, the wine doing its job and making it docile. As quick as he could he pulled them out, but the wine wasn’t potent enough to keep it down for long.

As vine fought with root to free the desert monster.

_Am I going to die now? Surrounded by fluid as someone else's meal? Nothing but bones in the end?_ Alibaba thought. _But...I guess it can’t be helped…_

“All I ever did was lie and not do anything…” Alibaba said, hoping that some god would hear him and maybe forgive his sins. “Sure, I want both money and power…” But what would that get him in the end? Would that be enough to free Balbadd? Did he even deserve to help his home? “But what I really want is…”

“A liar after all, Alibaba-Kun.” Aladdin! “Speaking the truth after all…” Flying above him with a proud smile, happy for whatever reason. Flying right above the open mouth with… all the barrels of wine!

Was she crazy?

But wasn’t that what he had been trying to do as well? Save someone else.

Budel screaming for Aladdin not to do what they all were thinking. “Things you can’t buy with either money or wine…” But with a smile on her face, she raised her staff. “Tell me more about them!” She shouted, bringing the wooden staff down in a wide arc, the flying clothe obeying an unspoken command and bucking the caskets off, down into the waiting maw of the desert hyacinth.

“NO!”

The distinct smell of fine wine filling his nostrils while the monster withered away, drunk off its prize.

“Amazing!” Alibaba whispered reverently to himself.

“Hah?” Something just wrapped around his foot. “Ahhhhhhhhh!” His body flung into the air, worry that the monster wasn’t done racing through his body until he realized it was one of the earthy roots of the giant tree that had appeared from nowhere. The limb depositing him on the soft clothe of Aladdin's veil with little ceremony.

“Aladdin…”

“I guess I have a lot of explaining to do.” Aladdin started, cutting off his thanks. “But for now, I have a favor to ask of you.” Closing her eyes and looking deep in thought, before opening them with a heartfelt smile on her face. “Would you like to be my friend?” Reaching out a hand for him to shake.

Such a child-like question, and yet Alibaba couldn’t help but feel elated at the thought of this crazy and magical woman wanting to be friends with someone like him. Could an answer not be more obvious.

“Of course!”

Their happy moment was broken by the pig-like squeals of Budel, the man threatening them if they didn’t reimburse him. Shock taking over fear as he completely lost grasp of the situation he was in.

“Let's go Alibaba-Kun,” Aladdin said with a tilt of her head and a smile, sitting down for their upcoming flight back to Qishan.

Budel’s squeals replaced with screams of panic as Aladdin snapped her fingers, siccing the mammoth tree on him and his hired thugs.

“Like hell I’m gonna work for you anymore!” Alibaba shouted, over the edge of the flying cloth. “I’m gonna conquer that dungeon and then I’m gonna buy you a million times over! Just you wait!” Shaking his fist while Aladdin laughed heartily at his declaration.

“Let’s go to that dungeon, Aladdin!” Alibaba said, turning to the smiling face of Aladdin, her hair whipping around in the wind.

“Right!” She said, turning and pointing into the distance, the two speeding off with the wind whipping them in the face. Amon getting closer and closer as they flew.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still have no idea when I'll be updating but hopefully soon.
> 
> I do have a plan!


	3. Amon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alibaba enters Amon and is put to the test once separated from Aladdin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And I thought the last chapter was a meaty monster to write!

Even by flying carpet, it still took them a while to return to Qishan, the sun having set for some time and the moon only just beginning to rise. Alibaba hopping off first while Aladdin descended after a moment, with a flourish of her hand she swiftly secured her veil in place. Smiling up at Alibaba who had stopped midway up the stairs to wait for her.

The two turned to look at their warped reflection in the dungeon doorway.

Alibaba hovered his hand just above its surface, about to take the plunge when fear pulled him back.

_ What if we don’t make it? What happens if we get separated? _ Alibaba thought, swallowing the lump in his throat and looking at Aladdin through the corner of his eye.  _ Aladdin could probably make it, after all, she took out the guards and fought the desert hyacinth. If it wasn’t for her I’d probably be plant food with those girls.  _ Said woman in question looked calm, looking deep in thought as her fingers drummed against the wood of her staff.

_ Maybe we shouldn’t. _ Taking a step back, and then another down the stairs leading to the gate.  _ After all, we don’t have supplies and… _

A familiar tug on the back of his neck and Aladdin walked in through the portal, ignoring Alibaba’s protests with a sigh. Something about ‘bothersome idiot kings’ as a yellow light framed her. Ripples disturbing the glass-like surface as Alibaba was pulled unwillingly to what was likely his doom.

He still had a chance, if he could... just- too late.

Alibaba’s nose was the first to touch the unfamiliar surface, suddenly feeling like an elephant was tugging on his it from behind the mirror.

_ Shit! _

Once the last of him entered, he was surrounded by a glowing golden light. He was falling into it, heading down the hole, twisting and curving as some unknown force pulled him through. Closing his eyes and waiting for the likely  _ splat _ that was to come at the tunnel’s end.

Thankfully he didn’t throw up for the second time today, his eyes glued shut and holding his breath when it stopped. Opening his eyes, he found himself floating. Below him was what looked like the world, familiar coasts and landmarks he had only seen on maps before, now splayed out before him so far away. Looking in awe at the sight before him, columns of light standing out tall from the world and shooting off into space.

Swiveling his head, he saw Aladdin, floating serenely with what could only be called a bored expression.

Wanting to ask her what the hell was going on and how she could be so calm before he saw one of the columns coming at them at high speed.

“Aladdin! Aladdin, look out!” Pointing at the incoming light in panic while Aladdin just waved him off, telling him not to worry.

He worried.

It was like standing in front of a hot fire, heat coming in from all directions. The bright light burning his retinas and forcing him to cover his eyes for fear of going blind. Feeling a violent tug on his naval that signaled something happened. Screaming as he was yanked violently forward, almost losing consciousness as it felt like his body was being pulled inside out.

_What is this place?_ The light that felt like looking into the sun, even with his eyes closed, was gone and left him in the pitch-black darkness. The force was gone but he still felt like he was floating. His mind working feverishly to piece together what had happened but not remembering much past the intense light and heat.

His lungs finally kicked into gear as he breathed in deeply, vaulting back when they became filled with water. Opening his eyes only to be met with an inky blackness, recognizing the floating feeling as being suspended underwater. Frantically looking around and trying to decide which way was up. Deciding that up was now forward he started to kick violently. What little air he had left quickly running out as he panicked.

Hitting his head on a hard surface and blacking out.

The next thing he knew, soft lips were against his, breathing fresh new air into his waterlogged lungs. A pressure being applied to his chest.

Someone was performing chest compressions. Why?

His brain rebooted for the second time that day, his eyes flew open in a flurry while he rocketed forward. Angry coughs racking his teenage frame as he expelled all the liquid in his lungs. He must have swallowed a wells worth of water as he continued to cough for what felt like five minutes, leaning on his knees with his head between his legs. Someone, probably the same person from before rubbing circles in his back.

“Whew, thought I lost you for a second there.” Aladdin’s voice snapping him back to reality, a hand on her chest as she breathed a sigh of relief.

After getting his breath back, Alibaba croaked out, “What happened?”

Aladdin was all too happy to tell him that he almost drowned with a smile that children often used when they felt proud of their achievements. Regaling him the tale of how she fished him out, quite literally actually, showing him how she did it by conjuring a golden chain on the end of her staff and flicking it into the water like a fishing rod, pulling out a rusted helmet that probably belonged to one of Amon’s many victims before tossing it back in.

“We should probably get going before trouble finds us,” Aladdin said, standing up with the aid of her staff. Extending a hand for Alibaba to take.

“Which way do we choose?” Three cavernous tunnels that descended into darkness, at least darker than the cavern they were already in. No clear indication of which way was the right one.  “What are we… what are we looking for exactly? I’ve never been in a dungeon before.” Alibaba scratched the back of his head.

Aladdin rolled this new information around in her head, bobbing from side to side as she decided on what to say.

“Well,” She started, “what we’re looking for is the treasure room.”

Treasure?! Alibaba’s interest peaked, rubbing his hands in a miserly manner with a dumb smile on his face. Drool slipping down the side of his face at striking it rich. A room full of treasure sounded like a dream come true for him.

“Mhm, wait don't you know that part already?" Aladdin looked dumbly at him remembering him regaling her last night. "Anyways, if everything goes correctly we’ll have no more trials. Djinn seem to like those, capricious as they are.” Aladdin spoke the last part to herself, hiking up more of her veil.  “Ah!” Aladdin exclaimed, “Let’s go this way.” Deciding at random the tunnel on the left. “Make sure to watch your step, dungeons are well known for deadly traps as well as-”

Click.

Both freezing, not wanting to take another step in a vain effort to pretend that didn’t just happen. Looking down where Aladdin was currently standing. Each of them swallowing the ginormous lumps in their throats.

“Haha, oops.” Aladdin chuckled, scratching her cheek.

The ground rumbling as something happened, they didn’t need another hint before they took off down the corridor.

“How could you just step on the switch! Seriously you were telling me not to step on a switch and then you step on a switch!” Alibaba pulled out his hair as he ran, wailing all the way as he flung his arms about, ranting and raving.

“I’m sorry, ok!” Aladdin cried, “I swear this doesn’t happen often!”

"Often?! Often?! How many other times have you stepped on a switch and nearly kill yourself before now?! Is it your hobby to just do this, dragging poor teens like me into dangerous dungeons and kill them!"

At the sound of rushing water, Alibaba stopped his rant and looked over his shoulder and instantly regretted it. A wall of water reaching up to the cavern ceiling chasing after them with a vengeance.

“Oi, Aladdin,” Alibaba yelled, “Do something to get us out of here. I don’t know… make a tree or vanish the water, or-” Too late.

The water crashing into the two and sending them tumbling. Alibaba held on, trying to swim to Aladdin in the chaos with little luck. He was only barely able to see the blue woman in the dark surf.

And then he could breathe. Gasping for breath and rolling onto his side. Propping up with his elbows, he looked at a sheepish Aladdin who was ringing the water out of her clothes.

"Sorry," she laughed.

“What did you do?” Alibaba asked, mimicking Aladdin and ringing the moisture out of his clothes while looking around.

They were in a bubble, the turbulent water whipping around outside them while they gently bounced along.

“Oh!” Alibaba exclaimed quietly, Aladdin looking down calmly at him, pointing her staff towards his chest. A warm gust of air ruffling his doused hair and moist clothes, a soft light enveloping him as it got warm. Mist rising off his clothes and body, it felt like drying off on a warm summer day back in Balbadd when he was younger.

Sitting there and staring at his now perfectly dry clothes. “Thank you…” He said after a moment of hesitation. Aladdin smiled happily in reply before doing the same thing to her own clothes.

Alibaba watched in fascination, that same soft glow enveloping Aladdin as she closed her eyes in focus. Her clothes billowed slightly in a non-existent breeze as steam rose up into the air before dissipating.

With her task complete, Aladdin sat down opposite Alibaba and the two waited in silence, bouncing along the corridor waiting for the current to stop.

Coughing to get her attention, Alibaba asked, “So… that tree thing, yeah?”

Aladdin laughed at Alibaba’s lame attempt to start a conversation. “Yes, what about?”

“I mean, it was awesome how you just… whoosh, and then… pow! You know.” Alibaba said miming the sound effects. “How’d you do that?”

“You really haven't figured it out yet?” Aladdin asked with an amused smile on her face.

“Figured out what?”

“I’m a Magi, a magician.” Aladdin said.

Alibaba stared blankly at her, his thoughts not working as he tried to process this new information.

“You mean like you wave that staff and then… Bwoosh! Fireball?”

A hand coming up to cover the older woman’s mouth as she chuckled at Alibaba’s very simple idea of what magic was.

“Kind of,” Aladdin started, her hands becoming animated and flying through the air as she explained a subject obviously close to her heart. “What I do is use magoi to send a command to the rukh. The rukh are responsible for all of life’s phenomena, from storms and earthquakes, to everyday things like an apple falling off the branch and wind blowing in from the sea. Of course, there is a more mundane explanation for why these can occur, I guess you could call it artificial magic in a way. Like striking a match to light a fire, the rukh still performs the action but no magoi is used from the person striking the match to cause the spark. As a magician, I just kind of… skip some steps. Does that help?” Aladdin finished, looking up.

“Yeah!” Alibaba exclaimed with two thumbs up and a dumb smile on his face, not at all understanding a single word of what she just said.

Aladdin let out a snort through her nose, the two falling into a more companionable silence as they drifted along in their bubble.

“Ah, it looks like we’re done.” Aladdin broke the silence after a minute.

Alibaba looked at her before turning his attention to the bubble wall. They were no longer moving, the bubble settling on the floor while the water level went down. And with an audible pop, the bubble burst, leaving them sitting on a metal grate. Torches lighting in the darkness, the red flames making their shadows dance along the walls. Stalagmites littering the ground and their stalactite counterparts hanging far above, glittering jewels reflecting the fire and glittering like stars on the cave ceiling.

“Wow. It’s actually pretty nice in here!” Alibaba exclaimed, surprised that a place that had tried to kill them several times could be so… nice. You know, when death wasn’t around every corner and water hazards weren’t trying to kill you.

Spotting something ahead, Alibaba exclaimed, “I see the exit, right over there!” A carved archway on the opposite side of the cavern from where they entered. Taking a few steps in a running start before looking back. “Aladdin, let’s-”

“Alibaba-kun, I think something’s going on, someone turned off the lights.” Aladdin’s muffled voice spoke from inside a monster. It looked like a red spongy lamprey with six long spider-like legs. Its mouth was lined with rows and rows of teeth and had a ring of beady eyes surrounding it, looking hungrily at Alibaba. He could see Aladdin inside, the imprint of her hand pushing out against its side before vanishing.

“Aladdin!” Alibaba screamed, pulling out his dagger and ducking behind one of the nearby rocks for cover. The monster roared as it lunged for where Alibaba previously was, teeth gripping onto the grate and throwing it to the side before charging his hiding spot.

Thinking fast, Alibaba rolled out of the way, swiping his arm back and slicing the monster across one of its many eyes. Green goo flowing freely from the wound. It was surprisingly fragile and easy to slice through, like cutting butter with a hot knife.

The monster reared back in anger before it started puffing up. Alibaba was worried that it would explode on him but it instead let out a stream of flame. He narrowly avoided the massive gout of flame but his arm was slightly burnt and his tunic scorched, taking cover behind a pile of rubble to avoid the worst of it.  The monster lost sight of him, slithering along the ground and checking behind piles of rubble, smashing whatever got in the way. Its screeches sounded like broken glass being scraped across a blackboard, echoing off the walls and making it sound louder than it already was, which was pretty loud.

Thinking fast and coming up with a plan, Alibaba tiptoed, going from cover to cover as he maneuvered to the pit in the floor where the grate once stood. The cistern the monster pulled up was surprisingly shallow, only about four feet deep.

Checking over his shoulder to make sure the creature hadn’t spotted him, jumped down into the hole. Holding his breath, listening as the monster screamed and started to have another tantrum as it couldn’t find him. Shadows dancing violently as the monster threw gouts of flame everywhere, a few slender tongues of fire licking past the edge. Alibaba picked up a stray rock and threw it in the opposite direction of the destruction. The sound of scuttling and smashing letting him know the enraged monster was coming his way.

Time to put his terrible plan into action.

Despite its many eyes, the beast must have had terrible vision as it passed over the hole, exposing its soft underbelly to the awaiting Alibaba. Perfect.

Slashing out with his dagger and leaving a deep gouge in its stomach, avoiding the fluid that came pouring out and hopping up the wall as the creature recoiled.

It screamed and cried, letting out deep wails as it went down.

Alibaba watched in disgust and fascination as it shriveled up while the fluid kept pouring out until it was just a deflated sack of skin.

Pinching his nose, the smell was horrible, Alibaba looked down at the remains of the beast, finally remembering Aladdin and jumping in without a second thought. Pulling at the deflated skin while screaming “Aladdin!” at regular intervals until he saw something poking out the side.

It was Aladdin’s staff, the hook part hanging out.

“Aladdin…” Alibaba whispered softly, tears starting to form in his eyes. Sure she had been annoying but she had also been the one to encourage him to enter Amon and believe in him when no one else would, helping him when she didn’t even need to. Bending down to retrieve the wooden object, only to be met with resistance and a horrid acrid smell.

Taking a deep breath, Alibaba tugged with all his might, maybe he could find her family or a friend and tell them what had happened. It was the least he could do, even if he didn't know how with the scant amount of information he had on her. He eventually pulled out a pile of goo and entrails. With a grimace he lightly tapped it with his foot, jumping back as the pile of organs moaned.

Pulling up his dagger and getting into position as the blob thing stood up, moaning in agony while waving its arms. Was the thing pregnant? That was just great.

“Alibaba-kun, save me… I don’t want to be eaten again!” A distinctly human voice requested. It was muffled through all the layers of viscera but it was definitely Aladdin.

“Aladdin!?” Alibaba exclaimed, hurriedly going forward to help pull the shiny green entrails off the poor woman.

Thankfully she was undigested, just covered in rotten smelling green goo.

“Thank you, Alibaba-kun.” Aladdin sniffled. She went in to give him a hug but Alibaba took a step back, brandishing his knife for good measure.

“Alibaba-”

“Not even if hell froze over would I hug you like that.” Alibaba deadpanned.

Aladdin’s only response was to pout before she tapped her staff on the ground, water gathering around her in a big ball spinning rapidly, obscuring her from view as it whipped past. When it cleared Aladdin was left completely goo-free but there was still a whiff of... something emanating from her.

Putting his knife away, but still eyeing Aladdin carefully, he clumsily climbed out of the hole, standing up to see Aladdin brushing her robes directly in front of him, not even having seen or heard her get out or move before him. Deciding to chalk it up to whatever it is being a Magi meant.

Accepting this was his life now, Alibaba continued on his way, leading the sniffling Aladdin towards the only other cave exit apart from the one that dumped them in here. “This way… I think.” Motioning for Aladdin to follow.

The two passed through the stone brick archway when they heard more screaming coming from behind them. They were panicked, the sound of screams and clashing swords while something inhuman roared. A gout of flame lighting up the corridor opposite of them and making the people fighting off the creature dance across the wall. The pained screams of the men who were just burned echoing off the wall and making Alibaba remember his own burn, placing a hand on it and gritting his teeth in pain as the adrenaline ran off.

A soothing cold feeling washing over him. Turning to see Aladdin having her hands over his burn, a lilac light emanating from her hands as his burn vanished, leaving a fresh new layer of pink skin in its place.

“Alibaba,” Alibaba heard Aladdin say calmly, looking up into her deep sapphire pools that held a twinkle in them, “Go, I’ll help them.”

“But, Aladdin-” Alibaba started, looking for something more to say to express how dangerous this place was. He didn’t know if he was more afraid for her or for him.

“It's fine Alibaba-kun,” Aladdin smiled over her shoulder, “you go on. I believe in you.”

Those words ignited something in Alibaba as Aladdin walked away, toward the screams and flames. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fist, Alibaba turned on his heel and ran. He had to find the treasure room on his own it seemed.

* * *

With a crack the monster went down, Morgiana kicking off its bleeding hide only to be swiped by another. The creatures were unlike anything she’d ever seen or heard from the merchants in Qishan.

Centipede like monsters with rows of eyes going down the length of their chitinous hides, clawed legs that were slicing through the soldiers Lord Jamil had brought in like they were nothing. But even though Morgiana had taken out one, that was all she had managed to do, their hides were just too strong, even for a fanalis like herself.

In the brief moment she had taken to breath she found herself flung across the room, a long cut going down her leg. She expected to hit the hard stone floor but found herself wrapped in something soft as delicate hands held her.

“Yo! Fancy meeting you here!”

It was the woman from the market, the one who had made that giant tree appear in the desert that had fought the monster flower. The kind lady who smelled of sheep’s milk and dew on morning flowers. The person Lord Jamil had been excited about meeting for so long.

Speaking of Lord Jamil.

“Magi?!” The man pleaded from the other side of the cavern, taking cover behind Goltas and the few soldiers that had not been slaughtered upon their initial entrance into Amon. “Magi, I beg of you! That monster- Ahhh!” He was cut off as one of the creatures took insult to his yelling and smashed into their defensive ring, thrashing about and sending men flying.

Her expression blanched as she turned towards Jamil, looking like it would physically pain her to help the desert lord.

She mulled it over in her head, rolling the idea around, and Morgiana watched the emotions behind her eyes before the woman came to a decision with a great sigh. “Hai hai hai,” She said, her voice monotone as she rolled up her sleeves and lifted her staff.

Was she going to grow another tree?

Morgiana didn’t think that would help but anything at this point.

The magi swung her staff up, letting it slide out of her hand until she was holding it by the bottom before swinging it down, hard.

“Dhoruf!”

The centipede monster stilled before some unseen force pulled them and everything around them into a condensing mass, the ground tearing up as chunks of the floor flew into the air and added to the growing mass. Everyone found it hard to breathe as even the air started to get sucked up, falling to their knees and gasping for air.

And then it stopped, a perfect black sphere floating above the center of a newly formed crater. And then with a snap of her fingers, the magi let it drop. The thing falling like a lead anvil and forming an entirely new crater in the ground. Everyone could hear it fall as it crashed through all the floors beneath them and kept going.

‘Oh, thank you magi, thank you thank you thank you!” Jamil started, his eyes misty after surviving the monster encounter and almost choking to death.

The magi gave a noncommittal hum before she started off the way she came, not sparing a second glance back at the dumbfounded group. It was probably the first time someone had dismissed Jamil in his life.

“Ah- magi, aren’t you going to make me king?”

The lady in blue stopped, her voice cold as she asked, “Why would I do that?” Her shoulders squared back but otherwise showing no other indication of what she was thinking.

“Because my teacher said-”

“I am not your teacher. Nor have I ever heard of you before I arrived in Qishan a week ago.”

Cold blue eyes froze everyone in place, many looking at the woman in shock and horror that she had dared to correct and in a way deny Lord Jamil his wish. It felt like Morgiana couldn’t breathe, fear racing through her as those same blue eyes looked at her with the weight of an entire ocean behind them.

Why did they look so disappointed, like deep wells of pity?

The magi’s blue gaze lazily tracing from Morgiana to where Jamil sat on the ground, taking on a sharp-edged quality that made the hairs on the back of Morgiana’s neck stand on end.

This was no woman, or even a beast in man’s flesh, but a bonafide force of nature that would not bow to anyone, lord, king or otherwise.

Lord Jamil did not, however, seem able to read the aura of the room.

“O Magi…” Rising to his feet and gesturing to himself and the woman as he spoke, “say that you choose me. Or else-” Giving a clap of his hands that brought Morgiana and everyone else back to reality, snapping them out of that paralyzing fear without them realizing it. “I’ll kill you here and now for defying me.”

“Oh?” The woman enquired lazily, her eyes drooping to half circles as the heavy lids fell over them, giving her a bored expression that told them all what she thought of this conversation. “You couldn’t even defeat the monsters of this dungeon, what do you expect to do against me?”

And that was the truth that had them all shuffling foot to foot, afraid to think of what she could easily do to them if these monsters didn’t even pose a challenge.

“Ture,” Jamil said, “But Morgiana here is a descendant of the fanalis tribe. Their kicks are like lightning, and are said to be able to pierce through the stomach of the lion, the king of beasts!” Morgiana took her stance as Jamil continued on his threat, the years of subservience beaten into her forcing her onto autopilot while she awaited his inevitable command to force the woman into submission, all emotion forgotten. “They truly are the most powerful and ferocious beasts on Earth.”

A vicious grin grew along his face, accompanied by a manic glint in his eye while he threatened the sorcerer of creation. The woman’s features remained neutral while she turned to face Jamil’s party. Her staff end striking on the ground with a deafening finality that echoed across the room, a threat. Something dancing in the air around her and making it shimmer.

“Now then, Magi, if you don’t want to become another pitiful lion…” The lady clad in blue turning her head up and staring down her nose at the desert lord while he continued on. Morgiana knew it was far too late for the Magi not to be punished for her insubordination and waited for the signal to strike. “Surrender to me!”

Cracking the ground and forming a small crater, paling in comparison to what the Magi had created just moments ago, she leaped forward, crossing the short distance faster than the eye could blink and bearing down on her blue target with deadly accuracy.

But where most would dodge or try to evade, the woman stood still and waited patiently for Morgiana’s strike.

Lashing out with her leg, Morgiana kicked for the woman’s stomach attempting to wind or knock her out. Only to be rebuffed by some mysterious yellow light that protected the woman, being knocked back by some repelling force.

Everyone stared in shock as the woman just stood there, again looking at them through hooded eyes that said a million words. An all too familiar feeling sinking into Morgiana’s stomach, despair.

“Again!” Jamil commanded in panic.

Morgiana lashing out a furious barrage of attacks that did nothing to her opponent, if one who didn’t even fight back could be called such a thing. Landing a particularly strong kick and using the force to leap backwards, flipping in the air as she readied her next attack and leaped high above everyone’s heads. Pulling off a series of complicated flips to build momentum, she came down with a sickening crack as the sound of electricity danced through the air, gritting her teeth in frustration as she attempted to move past the repelling force that threatened to send her flying.

“I’m sorry,” The lady said, her eyes a mixture of kindness and sadness. Why was she sad? Her previous expression of boredom and irritation melted away as she looked on while Morgiana struggled against her shield. “I wish fate had been kinder and that we had not met like this little sister. I hope one day we can smile under the sun together.” Smiling sadly at Morgiana with regret clearly written across her face as the young fanalis lost the duel.

The invisible force winning out and repelling her away like a projectile from a cannon. She flew across the room and smashed into the wall, leaving Morgiana deeply out of breath and making a deep hole that became an unofficial door into an adjacent room.

All she could do was stare out in terror as the force of nature then turned her ire once more to Lord Jamil.

* * *

Alibaba didn’t know how long he was running for, only that his legs were now sore and he was gasping for air. No idea why he had been running either as there hadn’t been any danger since the weird lamprey-spider-fire-spitting-monster...thingy.

And only now had he realized that he had no supplies and he doubted Aladdin had brought any either with how carefree the woman had so far shown herself to be.

“Fuck!” He rasped out, breathing deeply as he rested against the surprisingly warm cave wall of the dungeon. Letting out one final puff of air before standing up and moving forward one more.

This time at a much more sedate pace, looking carefully around every corner for monsters or an obvious clue of where he was supposed to go.

He kept walking, listening to the fires burning in the torch stands and his own footsteps echoing off the walls. His only company was his shadow as it obediently followed behind him.

The labyrinth had seemed straightforward so far, a series of similar cave halls branching off from the straight corridor he was walking down. With no reason to turn down any of them, he continued straight in an attempt not to lose his way and hoping that some trap or monster wouldn’t get him too lost should he encounter one while he walked.

After what seemed like the millionth crossing in the road, the hall soon opened into a large chamber.

Four large braziers laid on the floor, illuminating the whole room. Two sandstone staircases leading up to a balcony where he could make out the top of a stone archway that must have been the way to continue forward. Two raised dais occupied the lower floor, a smaller one holding a stone monolith with writing on it closer to him, and behind the smaller dais a larger one which was occupied by a stone sphinx. The beast's eyes were closed on its regal face and despite its obvious stone appearance, Alibaba was going to skirt around the room and interact with it as little as possible.

But first, the monolith.

It was small, made of a shiny black stone that reflected the torchlight. The writing on it was obviously Tran, but unfortunately, it was either a dialect he had never encountered in his time at the royal palace or the mason just had crappy handwriting when they wrote it. What little writing on it that was barely translatable had seemingly been scratched off by some passerby, probably taking some great offense to the chicken scratch of handwriting and thinking they could do better.

The bare minimum he could understand loosely translated to something about obeying the rules of courtesy and decorum expected of a guest, for he was in the guardian,s domain… something something something.

Feeling a bead of sweat run down the back of his neck as his eyes scooted to both sides of the room- nothing. Looking up and checking the ceiling for some bug or bat monster- nothing. Behind him- nothing. That left whatever was on the high balcony that remained hidden from him… or the rooms only other occupant, the sphinx.

  
Closing his eyes and swallowing the lump in his throat, his eyes meeting the now open ones of the, previously stone, sphinx. It had an ornate headdress with a tiny golden snake sitting atop its brow, golden fur that was definitely lionesque. It sat atop its raised dais patiently observing him where he stood awkwardly by the black stone. He could distinctly make out the lazy swishing of its tail behind its haunches and what he hoped was a mischievous glint at best.

Taking a deep breath to center himself, the many hours spent with a harsh elderly tutor intent on ramming every bit and form of etiquette from every country and culture into his head in a single night making themselves known at the forefront of his mind.

Taking a step forward, smiling brightly in what was hopefully a friendly manner, and putting a hand on his heart in a happy gesture, Alibaba introduced himself.

“Hello! My name is Alibaba Saluja, third prince of the nation of Balbadd. I humbly apologize for intruding upon your home but must ask that I be allowed permission to pass!” Speaking audibly and succinctly, the sphinx letting a small smile crack its previously stoic gaze as it cocked its head to the side.

Not breaking eye contact, Alibaba broke eye contact and bowed, getting on one knee and hoping the feline monster wouldn’t kill him while his attention was turned.

The great beast's voice paralyzed him, it was deep and gravely, but oddly feminine, sounding like two great stones were grinding against one another. He couldn’t place the language, wasn't even sure it was a language.

Nonetheless, he looked up to meet its pleased gaze. The thing happily smiling as he decided, by chance, that this was a cue for him to scurry quickly up the stairs and take his leave.

He was about to take his first step when he remembered the chicken scratch message. Turning on his heel and snapping his limbs to his sides.

“Thank you for having me in your home.” And with that, he hurried his way up the stairs and down the corridor, noting with relief that the sphinx had turned once more to stone.

The new corridor was thankfully shorter and he found himself in another chamber. A circular room with another grate on the floor, slow-moving water gently flowing by underneath him. On a raised pedestal in the middle was a lever, a shaft of light shining down on it from above.

More Tran was written on it, but unlike before he could read it.

_ Trial of Patience _

Definitely a trap he decided.

He was about to continue down one of the adjacent passageways when he heard footsteps rapidly approaching him. His head swiveling from side to side trying to decide which corridor the entity would come from.

It sounded like feet, like no shoe feet slapping on stone as they ran, and… chains?

He was pretty sure Aladdin didn’t wear shoes so… someone else then?

Pulling out his dagger and getting into position for a possible fight, determined to win and meet Aladdin in the treasure room. He gritted his teeth, imagining some monster, a giant vaguely man-shaped beast that could shatter mountains. It had chains dangling from each limb from where it had broken the restraints that had kept it tethered to some dungeon wall. And so he waited.

And waited.

And waited…

Until finally… a girl?

The two staring at each other in awkward silence. A horrified look growing on his face when he recognized the girl as the one from the market the day before last. Her red hair slick with sweat and something else. He grimaced as he looked at the multi-colored stains that were still wet from whatever dungeon creature the girl had probably barely managed to escape from... and hopefully kill he added as an afterthought. Her clothes slightly singed.

“Ah… Hi?” Alibaba stuttered out, clumsily putting his knife away and desperately trying to look somewhere else, accidentally glancing at the chains around her legs. The poor girl noticed his stares and tried to cover her shame. But without her long skirt that she had worn previously at the market, her efforts proved to be in vain.

“So… um, water, huh?” He asked lamely, pointing to the slowly moving substance passing lazily underneath them.

At least his lame conversation starter made the stoic looking girl laugh a little. She tried desperately to maintain her statuesque calm, characteristic of those subject to long time slavery. Not quite human, not quite an object.

That all too familiar churning feeling of shame and discomfort making itself at home in his stomach, lacking any and all shame and having the gall to put its feet up while down there.

“Where’s the rest of your group? Weren’t you with the…” people who Aladdin had gone to help.

“Hai, we were saved by the magi before…”

Horror soon accompanied shame before booting it out to make room. The slave girl noticed his look before hurriedly correcting his misconception.

“She’s not dead, I was just separated from the group during the fight.” The girl made sure not to mention that said fight had been a one-sided smackdown against said woman.

Relief now replacing horror.

“That’s good to hear then.” Smiling to himself as he looked down at the water, leaning against the pedestal. Hearing an audible click as horror crawled back up his bowels and started to beat up relief.

Heavy metal doors dropping down from the ceiling and blocking off their escape from the chamber. Both of them ran towards the nearest door and banged it in an attempt to avoid what was sure to be a death sentence.

“I can’t dent it!”

“Why the hell do you think-”

He was cut off from pointing out what should have been obvious when a rumbling noise shook the floor. The two looked down at the water below them that had ominously stopped.

“That can’t be good,” Alibaba stated the obvious.

The water soon rising up and escaping out the grate, soaking Alibaba’s shoes and his pants quickly following. The blond looking up for a way out and spotting what looked like a small hole far above.

_ Trial of patience indeed. _

“Okay look,” Alibaba started, trying to calm the visibly panicking girl thrashing against the metal bars. “All we have to do is swim until the water reaches that point.” Directing the frantic girl's attention towards the small opening high above their head. “Then we just go down it and hopefully the water won’t kill us.” Proudly placing his hands on his hips and smiling broadly at his plan. Soon regretting that last part as the girl became ghostly white.

The water was now up to Alibaba’s hips. The two holding their arms above the water in a sad attempt to keep them dry in spite of the inevitable.

“I can’t swim!” The red-haired girl blurted out, panic evident in her wide red eyes.

The gears grinding to a halt as Alibaba tried to fix his now terrible plan.

“Okay,” he said, “hold onto my neck and I’ll try and- Gargh!” The petite girl had a deceptively strong grip that felt more like she was trying to break his neck.

He was having trouble breathing but was managing at the moment. Soon the water reached the point where he could swim and he floated up, using the cracks in the brick of the death room to alleviate some of the burdens and not have to swim for two.

Up they went, slowly.

The girl's grip not slacking and Alibaba was just thankful for the few bits of air he could get down into his lungs.

Glancing away from the wall he was slowly crawling up with the support of the water was a big mistake.

“The water is rising!!!” The red-haired girl screamed loudly right into his ear, her death grip cutting off that tiny trickle of oxygen to his lungs as he let go of the wall in a panic. The two of them submerging under the water where the girl started thrashing. The girl’s monster strength became apparent as her leg kicked his stomach sending him deeper underwater and knocking the air out of his lungs.

Thinking fast, Alibaba took off his cloak, looping a piece around one of the girls flailing limbs and swimming up to the surface, taking in a deep lung full as he fought to help pull the girl up. Thanking God when he sees the opening was now within reach. Reaching his hand out to grasp the ledge and pulling himself up, dragging the struggling girl with him. With a final tug, he went tumbling down the small tunnel, limbs flailing while the girl continued to struggle.

“Hey, are you ok-”

  
  


Why did his head hurt? It felt like a mallet had been slammed into his forehead and then an entire caravan had trampled over it. His vision was blurry as he opened his eyes. Eventually making out torch lights above his head. Sitting up with great effort, holding one hand to his head and grimacing in pain.

Closing his eyes to block out the lights as they were hurting his head.

Probably had a concussion.

Pressing the heel of his hand to his eye and trying to remember what happened.

Right, sphynx, trial of patience, red-headed girl, about to drown, and then…

The girl panicked and accidentally kicked him in the head.

Opening his eyes, he squinted around to observe his surroundings. He was happy to note that they weren’t in that dingy tiny tunnel at the top of the trial of patience. Feeling his clothes to find that he wasn’t quite wet but definitely damp, his cloak bundled up and placed where his head had been laying.

Further assessment revealed that he was definitely alone.

So with a sigh, Alibaba stood up, wincing as his vision swam, and put on his cloak.

He was patting himself down to make sure he wasn’t missing anything when he noticed the slave girl standing behind him. He did not scream, it was merely a declaration of surprise and not something that might emanate from a frightened child.

“Ah,” She said, looking not at all abashed, holding her hands behind her back in a position he recognized all too well as servile. “I am glad to see you have woken up. I was busy scouting up ahead while you were out.”

Alibaba swallowed the awkward lump in his throat, coughing into his fist as he regained his calm composure. “That’s good, that’s good, what did you find?” He asked, directing his full attention to the girl.

She looked slightly surprised for a moment before pointing down the hallway. “The hallway goes on for a few hundred feet before it opens up to a room with a large door.” She looked ashamed when she turned back to him, gazing down to her feet while she continued speaking. “I was, however… unable to get past the traps…” She mumbled the last part, trembling.

“Good work, ah-” Alibaba encouraged quickly realizing he didn’t know her name, “What’s your name again?” He asked, smiling gently at her, knowing the girl probably didn’t get any encouragement in her ordinary life.

She looked at him, a blush creeping across her face while she hid behind her bangs, letting out a barely audible “Morgiana” under her breath.

“That's a pretty name.” Alibaba absentmindedly noted, smiling and cocking his head to the side. Not knowing or noticing Morgiana had turned as red as her hair while he stalked off down the direction she had previously indicated. “I’m Alibaba by the way!”

He soon heard her following, not only because of her feet quietly slapping against the stone floor but because of the rusty iron chains jangling, their abrasive sound echoing off the stone walls.

_ Nothing I can do there _ Alibaba thought to himself, feeling shame once more creep its way into his gut while he continued down the way Morgiana had indicated, watching the stones and refusing to make eye contact or stare at the chains.

More thoughts of his own failures and shortcomings distracting him from the danger he was about to walk into.

“Look out!” Something small and fast tackled him in the back and knocked the air out of his lungs, an intense wave of heat washing over him. Alibaba was beginning to sense a pattern here.

First, some deadly trap would activate, and then Morgiana would vacate the oxygen in his lungs.

Looking up to see the column of flame that otherwise would have incinerated him had Morgiana not pushed him out of the way. “Is this the part where you couldn’t go further?” He asked Morgiana, getting a somewhat ashamed nod of conformation.

Further observation revealed that they were in a large room, flattened boulders making up the floor with the occasional tongue of fire licking the smooth stones. Another monolith sat just a little in front of where Alibaba had almost been turned to ash.

Sweeping himself up and carefully stalking forward, waiting a healthy second to make sure the fire wouldn’t come down and rain pain and death on him. After nothing happened, he looked down at the floor, finding a series of crushed pebbles forming a line in the floor.

Taking out his dagger and kneeling down to look closer at it. “Hold on.” Raising his hand in the universal signal to stand still, pressing the tip into the suspicious line of stone and watching as one of the pebbles sunk down. The wall of flame pressing down, a few tongues whipping past him as he looked into the flames an arm's length away. The heat searing his face and forcing him to squint while the flames began to subside.

Alibaba smiled to himself, “A trap, huh.” He said to no one in particular. “Make sure you don’t step on the line,” He said hopping over it, “now let’s see what this has to say.” Running his hand over the smooth stone surface, much like the trial of patience, this was written in much more legible Tran.

_ Dance with the tornado _

_ The truth lies inside the jaws of the dragon _

_ You will find everything before you reach the dragon’s tail _

“A riddle?” Morgiana asked, surprising Alibaba who realized he was muttering to himself. The girl had exceptional hearing it seemed.

“Seems so.” He surmised, licking his lips as he noticed the buildup of fire under the stones. It was somehow reminiscent of a coiled snake waiting to strike, or in this case a dragon looking to turn him into barbecue.

“How do we- Alibaba-san!” Morgiana called after him as he took off, dodging the pillars of flame that sprang up around him. She tried to follow him but had to turn back as she narrowly avoided the flame that rose up to block her. “How is he doing that?” She asked herself mystified as she saw him almost dancing with the swirling flames, narrowly avoiding the fires and gracefully rolling out of danger on more than one occasion. Finally reaching the end where she noticed a dragon-shaped bust in the wall, shooting a smile over his shoulder at her before reaching inside the mouth.

He must have found a lever or button of some kind because the flames shut off, the only evidence left was the still scorching stones. The heat not bothering her as she ran forward for fear that they would reactivate if she didn’t hurry. A few feet away from him before another column of flame sprang up, swallowing Alibaba and his screams right before her eyes. Leaving her paralyzed in fear and horror before it eventually subsided.

There wasn’t even a pile of ash to show that the teen had ever existed.

Even though she had only known the boy for a few hours, she felt she owed him… something for saving her life. But all she could muster was to say his name slowly and softly, not quite believing that her voice was hers.

A loud grinding noise emanating from the wall which had come to life, the ancient-looking stones scraping across the ground, sending dust and sand falling down in small clouds. Readying a stance, Morgiana waited for whatever horror would come forth. Leaping at the first sign of movement in what should have been a killing blow. That is until she realized what, or rather who, it was.

“Ah ah aahh, watch out!” A familiar voice screeched at the top of their lungs. Morgiana only had a moment to redirect the energy of her lethal strike, crashing into the no longer recently departed Alibaba in a mess of limbs.

Extracting herself from the tangle, Morgiana sat on her knees furiously apologizing to Alibaba who was currently lying prone in a dazed state.

When he had finally recovered, he relayed to Morgiana what he had found. That being the hidden passage behind the bust and how the cyclone had not singed him in the slightest.

After much reassurance, Alibaba eventually led her down the tunnel. After a short walk, they came to a large set of ornate double doors, light shining through stained glass.

“Look,” Alibaba pointed towards the doors, “seems it’s a good thing we ran into each other after all.” Pointing out the two right-hand imprints.

Stepping up to the large metal doors, Alibaba placed his corresponding hand into the divots, turning to Morgiana and smiling, “Ready?” He asked. Getting a nod of confirmation from the younger teen before they both pushed.

Except nothing happened.

“Hah!” Alibaba exclaimed, putting his back into the door as he tried to force it open. “Seriously?” He said stepping back before kicking the door, placing his left hand into the right-hand imprint.

“Do we have to have the correct hand size?!” He half exasperatedly joked, half angrily queried.

Putting more ‘oomph’ into his efforts and not paying attention to his surroundings.

“Alibaba-sama-” Morgiana started.

“Not now Morgiana, help me open this door!” Alibaba strained his muscles as he pushed further.

“Alibaba-”

“Come on seriously? Open up dammit!” Banging his fists against the metal and only hearing a resounding ‘thunk’ in response.

“Alibaba-sama!”

“What?!” He asked exasperatedly. Looking to where Morgiana pointed in shock to the way they came. He expected to see some horrid monster leering hungrily at them from some imposing height.

Except it was much stranger.

The walls falling away, disappearing like leaves blowing in the wind. Continuing until everything was gone, including the door. So with an outraged cry, Alibaba fell to the ground in an undignified heap.

Getting up and looking around in wonder to see they were left atop a stone tower in the middle of a deserted city.

“Are we outside?” Morgiana asked, looking for something. Fear lacing her body as she swiveled around but found nothing.

“No,” Alibaba said, pointing to what looked like an arch suspended high above them, “we’re still inside Amon.”

The two were looking for a sign or clue for where to go next, or even how to get down safely when a massive column of flame rose up from a ring of dragons mouths.

“I guess we have to go there, huh.”

“Alibaba-sama, I found a way down,” Morgiana said, drawing his attention away from the rising pillar to where she was holding a vine.

One daring climb down and Alibaba muttering to himself several times “don’t look down” and the two were at ground level. Heading down the empty street lined with empty houses. Closer observation showed that it looked like they were freshly lived in, like the people had just up and left everything inside and vanished. Hearths still warm and food still on the table.

Alibaba tried to sneak a bit of the food, sniffing it beforehand to make sure it was safe, before digging in. Ignoring the disturbed look Morgiana gave him while justifying that he hadn’t had anything to eat since the caravan... yesterday? How long had they been in the dungeon? He must have been going off adrenaline judging by how empty his stomach felt once he finally put food into himself.

When they had finally arrived at the base of the pillar of fire, the center of the ghost town from what he could surmise, they found it full of broken stone and rusted jewels. Not at all the treasure room he had been promised in the stories.

“Is this really the treasure room?” He asked, disappointed. Looking back in shock as a large shadow loomed ominously over him, turning to see a giant of a man wearing a metal mask and carrying a sword almost as big as he was. Narrowly jumping out of the way as he came crashing down.

“Goltas!” Morgiana screamed.

“You know him?” Alibaba asked incredulously, seeing the many red wounds on his back. “Did a dungeon monster do this? Is he even alive?”

“Goltas!” Morgiana screamed once more, kneeling beside the man and shaking him, worry and fear evident in her facial features. “Alibaba-sama, please help, do something! He’s burned all over!”

Burns were the least of this man’s worries if he didn’t bleed out first.

Only instincts saved him from what came next as he narrowly dodged the clumsy sword swipe that had tried to liberate his head and neck from his shoulders. Leaping back and drawing his own blade to come face to face with a black-haired man. He was obviously shaken, his clothes dirty and scuffed but he was not nearly in as bad a condition as the man on the ground, Goltas his brains supplied him.

“How dare you… a piece of trash! You commoner- who do you think you are making it here?” Agitation evident in his tone as the man stared daggers at Alibaba.

Alibaba really didn’t have a chance to think before he spoke. “Once we’re here it makes no difference whether you’re a commoner or a lord!” But what he did know was that he was sick and tired of people who clung to status, the rich nobles who couldn’t see past their own fat nose to see the problems their greed caused.

“Makes no difference? Don’t be absurd, you’re nothing but a weak… uncouth…” The man he now recognized as the trading lord of Qishan, Jamil, seemed to reach for an insult, “Piece of garbage unworthy of living!”

Somehow Alibaba felt it was a projection rather than Jamil’s actual views of Alibaba, of course, he could be mistaken. Most lords couldn’t really hold flattering views of those they deemed beneath them. 

_ Wait, if he’s in Amon… does that mean his group is the one Aladdin went to save? The one Morgiana got split off from? _ Alibaba wondered, darting his eyes around the room in the hopes of spotting the blue-haired woman.

“I wonder,” Jamil started, “If killing you will show that bitch I was the right choice all along, that she should know her place.” A surge of protective anger hardening Alibaba’s eyes as he realized who Jamil was talking about. “The absurdity that a Magi would choose some filth from this backwater town instead of someone of noble birth, like me.” The man sneered down his nose at Alibaba. “Only one way to find out!”

And with that, the deranged lord charged Alibaba. Stabbing furiously at where Alibaba was, a rookie mistake as the blond easily dodged.

“Stand still, you insolent piece of crap!” Jamil shouted, losing whatever shreds of composure he might have had. “Stand still so I can mete out your punishment!” The man-child forgoing the use of strikes aimed to stab and instead began swinging wildly at Alibaba with wide strokes of his sword.

“Punishment?” Alibaba asked in slight bewilderment, chalking it up to the arrogance of those raised with a silver spoon in their mouth.

“That’s right.” Jamil stilled, putting Alibaba even more on edge. With how the man was talking and behaving it was more like dealing with a cornered animal than a human being. “What’s the deal with those monsters, dammit?! What did I, Lord Jamil of Qishan, do to merit such suffering? It’s all your fault isn’t it, you selfish bastard!”

Alibaba was immediately taken aback by his accusation.

“If the magi had only chosen me then none of this would have happened. I would have-”

“I guess they really scared the crap out of you, huh?” Alibaba asked, stepping into a fluid stance, cutting the distraught lord off. “But hey, why are you whining now?” Pointing his dagger at his opponent, his own stance not nearly as polished as Alibaba’s as he held his sword in an iron grip. “This is a dungeon, remember, or did you forget, my lord?”

He mocked the last part. “Your rank, your heritage, your honor- they don’t mean squat in here! This is where you put your life on the line; where you risk your life and everything you are!”

“If you’re scared, then do your trembling at home, okay, young master.”

That last comment seemed to drive the already aggravated Jamil over the edge. The crazed look in his eyes showing just how much he had snapped as he screamed, “That’s enough, shut up!”

Swishing his sword as he readied his attack. “Looks like I’ll have to school the commoner with my sheer ability.” It was faint, but Alibaba could feel the faint amount of blood lust coming off the cruel merchant noble, watched as his face contorted into a sadistic grin. Continuing with his vain show of force meant to do nothing more than intimidate by how it whipped the air.

It was easy to see and dodge the strikes Jamil threw at Alibaba, meant to wound but not kill, be painful but not debilitating. Jamil’s style was made for cruelty and was poorly polished, every move made to cause pain and punishment rather than finish the fight and were easily read as Jamil telegraphed.

The two dancing, or rather Alibaba danced, gracefully moving around Jamil’s predictable strikes. The gap in skill evident with every second the match went on.

Deciding enough was enough, Alibaba began his offensive once he was sure this was the extent of Jamil’s swordsmanship. Attacking the man’s exposed neck, elbows, shoulders- every strike revealing how Jamil never actually fought against an opponent, only targets too afraid of perceived status to do much more than take the cruelty, thinly veiled as sparring.

The entire time Alibaba mocked him for it. Pointing out not only the man’s shortcomings in their match but also the shortcoming of his supposed teachers. Finishing the fight by knocking Jamil flat on his ass and disarming him in one fluid motion. Looking at the downed man with a piteous gaze, watching as he blubbered on the hard marble floor.

“I thought I’d forgotten about the past, but my body sure remembers,” Alibaba muttered to himself, not even realizing how much out of practice he was. Having relied mostly on muscle memory and Jamil’s own poor swordsmanship for much of the match. Keeping the man at a distance with his blade.

Watching in a mix of confusion and aggravation when he threw his tantrum and screamed for Morgiana. Ordering the slave girl to save him.

_ So this was the man who owned her? She was resourceful to have made it so far in Amon and had a decently strong kick he would admit. But how was she going to help you when she’s… _

His thoughts cut short as he narrowly dodged her incoming attack, parrying her strike by deflecting much of the force off her chains.

“How?” Alibaba managed to stutter out despite his shocked nerves.

“What’s the matter? Ready to give up now, boy?” Jamil taunted, losing his fear now that he was back in control of the situation and safe from immediate concern behind another being's life.

“Listen,” Alibaba started, trying to reach the girl, “How long are you gonna follow this jerk’s orders?” Watching his two opponents with a calculating gaze, a plan in motion that would likely fail. “This is a dungeon. You can escape from Lord Jamil and no one will give you any grief.” Putting his weapon away and holding out his hand in a sign of friendship, hoping their brief time spent in Amon would be enough. “You can be free!”

“M-morgiana?” Jamil stuttered out as the slave girl stalked silently forward, the only sound the jangling of chains.

But whereas he expected her to take his offered hand of friendship, she instead took the opportunity to launch him across the room and break his back on the stairs.

_ How? _ He silently asked himself, trying desperately to force air into his lungs. Listening as Jamil laughed maniacally.

He was so out of it from the impact that he couldn’t even make out what Jamil was saying, only feeling the impact when the man's slipper smashed into his face, breaking his nose as blood trickled down.

Watching in shock and horror as Morgiana was given a sword and ordered to kill him. Waiting in suspense as she held the blade above his head. The desire to do anything but clearly written across her face as she struggled with the conflicting need to follow orders and her own blatant desire to do anything but.

All Alibaba could do was watch in frustration as his body still stubbornly refused to move. The blade came down in shaky jerking motion when the girl had reached her breaking point, following Jamil’s order to “Do it.”

_ I’m sorry Aladdin, Kassim. I guess I’m a failure after all. The least I can do is go with dignity… huh. _ Alibaba thought, resigned to watch his fate come to a screeching halt like the many who had entered Amon before him.

Except it never did. The blade vanished and left only the hilt in the girl’s clasped grip. What looked like birds made of light fluttering past.

“Whoops! Better late than never!” An all too familiar voice laughed.

The three gathered in the room simultaneously felt their heads swivel involuntarily to the open door. The light streaming in an illuminating an all too familiar figure dressed in blue and white. A happy go lucky smile stretched from ear to ear as she waved excitedly. “Yo! Alibaba-kun! I’m glad to see you made it here alright!” Aladdin Joyously greeted, “You had me worried there for a sec.”

A relieved smile stretching across Alibaba’s face as he felt tears well up in his eyes. “Aladdin!” He whispered in relief to himself.

And with that, she descended the stairs much to the stupefied wonder of the group. The floodgates opened as she began incessantly chattering about all the little inconveniences she’d had to deal with, sphinxes, flaming tigers, lava bears, flying monkeys, etc. Talking as if dealing with them was like how one dealt with a particularly annoying fly on the street.

“... and then I had to build a bridge because not everyone could swim and then… oh, it’s you.” She said, her face becoming the epitome of boredom and annoyance as she looked at Jamil. Letting out a derisive snort before striding past the man, crouching down next to Alibaba and helping him to sit. His body screaming with every touch and movement. “Are you all right, Alibaba-kun?” Her voice was soft as she gently laid a hand on his face.

Alibaba heard a dull crack and then his nose no longer hurt. Aladdin used a part of his tunic to help wipe off the blood. He caught a flash of movement and was barely able to get out a warning before the girl struck, colliding with… something. An invisible force in the air that soon made itself apparent, transforming into a bright yellow shield that repelled the frighteningly strong girl.

_ Who is she? _ _   
  
_

“I’m rather shocked you’ve managed to defend yourself. But I guess nothing short for the legendary sorcerer of creation.” Jamil spat out in irritation. But since he was unable to harm Aladdin or Alibaba anymore, he turned his ire to Morgiana. Kicking the girl in the back of the knees and forcing her to shield her head. “This is all your fault, Morgiana!” He screamed, having gone off the deep end but unable to recognize he had lost. “If only-” He never got the chance to finish.

Alibaba could only watch in wonder as the small creatures of light gathered around Aladdin's staff tip, a growing ball of light taking shape and form. It oscillated a bit before shooting forward at high speed to the stunned Jamil who could only watch.

In a bright explosion of light, he vanished.

“Did you-”   
  


“Let me go, dammit! Who do you people think I am?!” Jamil exclaimed, trapped in a yellow ball of light, suspended fifty feet in the air. He pounded his fists as he kept complaining. “I am the lord of-”

“Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first time,” Aladdin muttered, flicking her index and pointer fingers up and making the yellow sphere bounce off the walls in a chaotic fashion. Morgiana actually had to get out of the way in order not to collide with the high-speed projectile, while Alibaba sat protected in Aladdin’s shield.

It eventually burst, unfortunately, leaving a dazed and shaken Jamil in a heap on the ground where he threw up.

Despite everything that had happened, Alibaba couldn’t help but feel a twinge of sympathy for the man.

“That was amazing, Aladdin! What you did just now- I don’t even- what are you?!” He stuttered out in a jumbled series of praise and questions.

“Don’t worry about it.” She smiled nonchalantly, switching her staff into her left hand and using her right to help hoist Alibaba to stand. “Now, let’s continue on our adventure then! So close to our goal with only one last thing to do! Isn’t that right, Amon!” She declared loudly, pointing her glowing staff towards the earn on the center dais of the room. The birds from before gathering once more around Aladdin before snaking their way down her arm, up her staff and feeding into the urn. A blinding ball of light that quickly morphed into a great flame rising up into the air. The flames and birds dancing together in a twisting dual spiral. A wave of red energy crawling along the floor like smoldering fire over burning logs, turning the previously junk items into gold and precious jewels.

A deep and aged voice speaking clearly and succinctly through the flames. “Who is the one who would be king?” The flames died down but lost none of their intensity, bathing the room in a red fiery glow. And from those flames, a great blue giant rose up into the air. He was old, an immaculate large white beard that draped down his front surprisingly muscled arms despite his perceived age that sat atop a paunch belly. Despite his most obvious features that made him different from any sentient being Alibaba had ever read about, the most striking and revealing, was the third eye sitting between the giant’s bushy brows.

_ There’s no doubt. _ Alibaba thought, grinning like a mad man.  _ This is a djinn! _

“Is it you?” The djinn asked, looking to the recovered Jamil who sat in a puddle of his own piss. “No,” he stated matter of factly, turning to the horrified Morgiana, “no…” He looked next at Aladdin who’s only response was to smile and wave casually up at the imposing giant. But where with the previous two he gave a cursory glance and moved on, his eyes bugged out, all three of them. “Oh, you are…” His eyes moving next to Alibaba in realization. “You?” He asked incredulously as Alibaba pointed to himself for confirmation.

The djinn’s only response being a derisive snort, but no definite rejection. His gaze focused on Alibaba was both scrutinizing and disappointing. Alibaba didn’t know which he was more annoyed with.

“Wh-what’s up with that, huh? Oi, you got a problem with me you- you…” He looked for an insult that would convey both his annoyance and hopefully not get himself incinerated. Now was not the time to test if Aladdin’s shield would protect him from an angry djinn because Alibaba insulted it.

In his tantrum, he didn’t hear what the djinn said, but it sounded annoyed like one did when talking to an irate toddler. Shrinking down to a smaller size, but still towering over them several times Aladdin’s height who herself was quite tall.

“I never thought I would meet you, oh beloved proxy of Solomon, Magi.” The djinn spoke reverently as he bowed to Aladdin.

_ Solomon? Did- did this thing know something about Aladdin? And- and he bowed to her, what was up with that? _

Rising to his current full height. “But where are my manners, for while we know of who each other are, we have not been properly introduced. My name is Amon, I was created from decorum and austerity, and I am a fire-wielding Djinn. As you have probably already surmised from my dungeon and as it’s master, I hereby acknowledge that you have successfully cleared it.” Maintaining a dignified and humble pose with his right hand resting over his heart.

Despite it looking like the Djinn had more to say, Alibaba leapt into action pulling out several large clothes and bags to throw the treasure into. Which he did by the armful. Silver jeweled goblets filled to the brim with gold coins, ornate jewelry that would have emperors squabbling like children over candy, and various other treasure items each in their own right worth a fortune.

  
  


_ This takes me back. _ Aladdin thought to herself, watching Alibaba hoard treasure like a thirsty man who had found an oasis after months traveling through the hot desert. Memories of an idiot plum haired teen of around the same age doing almost exactly as the blond was doing now.

As much as she’d like to help him shovel treasure into a bag and put on the more ridiculous and opulent pieces on herself, she had business to attend first. “Hello, Amon. I’m-”

“Aladdin.” Amon smiled knowingly, deep crinkles forming in his face.

Aladdin could only chuckle at the Djinn’s excitement despite the clear restraint he was showing to not jump her with praise or queries. “So you know why I’m here then?” She asked, watching as the Djinn struggled to not let his face drop as his eyes darted to where she knew Alibaba was busily shoving treasure in a bag behind her.

“Hey, hey!” The topic of conversation started from behind her, “If we’ve cleared this dungeon, that means we take all this stuff, right? Right?”

Amon’s response was to stroke his beard in an effort to calm himself while flippantly responding for Alibaba to do what he wanted. Sighing deeply to himself in disappointment at being assigned such a king but unwilling to dispute the claim of the Magi, much less Solomon’s proxy.

“Why did you have to pick a brat like that?” The Djinn frustratedly asked.

“I don’t know,” Aladdin said, looking back at Alibaba who had yet to slow down. “I felt like it would be interesting, he’s a kind person underneath all those worrying fears and thoughts. I was hoping that you would be able to… polish that and encourage the man I know he can become underneath that doubt and self-hatred.”

Amon’s eyes were closed as he pondered his next response, indeed seeing in Alibaba what Aladdin did, even if he didn’t quite like it. “Fear not, I shall endeavor to help him on this journey, my lady.” He promised, once again bowing in subservience to the Magi’s wishes.

Aladdin hummed happily in agreement, her braid bouncing as she vigorously nodded along. She was all too happy to have Amon along for the ride.

“But I must ask...” Amon started, silently finishing his unasked question by pointing to the treasure room door where several soldiers stood petrified in terror at the sight of the blue giant.

“Don’t worry about them, they're just some stragglers that got dragged into this mess,” Aladdin responded, looking at the stunned soldiers from the corner of her eye. After the three others in the room had somehow managed to slip by her, she had subdued the rest of the soldiers that had managed to survive up until that point in Amon and get them to promise to behave and not attack her or Alibaba in return for her protection.

“But I did want to discuss with you-” She wasn’t able to finish as the dungeon began to shake. “What?”

“Someone is trying to seal the road! I’m sorry Magi, but at this rate, even you won’t be able to go back outside.” Amon answered her concern, already fast at work to open the portal that would send them back. Ignoring his king vessel’s cries of protest and ordering him to stop whining.

“Hurry, those of you who wish to return, step inside this column of light!” Amon ordered, the soldiers to forget their fear of the Djinn in order to not be trapped in the dungeon, stepping into the blue light and being taken out. “This dungeon shall soon collapse. Only death awaits those who stay behind!” The last to step in being Aladdin and her king candidate, the Magi having helped levitate the rest of the treasure not in Alibaba’s bags into the light.

_ Aren’t I forgetting something? _ Aladdin wondered.

“Hey,” Right, the fanalis girl, “Aren’t you coming back?” Alibaba yelled across the room to her, she had yet to leave Jamil’s side, the chief of Qishan having had a mental breakdown from today's events. Readying to pull the girl in herself, but stopping when she saw Alibaba.

_ Perhaps… _

“Why are you worrying about a guy like that?” Morgiana could only shuffle from foot to foot, the chains she could easily break physically no match for the chains she wore mentally. Deep scarring things from what Aladdin knew, all too familiar about the plight of the fanalis. “All he’s done till now is treat you like dirt, right?” Alibaba asked, stepping out of the portal.

Okay, she may have to pull both of them in soon. The dungeon only rumbled more as whoever was sealing it off came close to finishing it.

But in the end, it was not her or Alibaba who saved her, but her fellow slave. Goltas if her memory served correctly, unfortunately, it was only of Jamil screaming at the man. A gentle giant from what Aladdin knew who was violent only because of his lot life.

“Magi,” He spoke, his voice rough from disuse, “I know I have not earned your respect or love, following this fool of a man, but I ask that you help her! Show her her home and ensure she must never again be chained by another’s will! That… is my final wish!” He declared before using his sword to shatter Morgiana’s chains.

Unfortunately, the room was crumbling and a piece of the ceiling was about to crush all three of them.

“Watch out!” Alibaba shouted, “Aladdin, do something!” shaking her arm as he screamed beside her.

“Hai hai hai!” Feeling her spell lock onto the girl and yanked her towards the two with their feet halfway through the portal. Tutting to herself as she gently cradled the shell shocked girl to her chest and carried her into the light, Alibaba right behind her fretting.

“Amon,” She commanded, her voice becoming steely, “Let’s go.”

“Here goes! This is the last of the magoi King Solomon entrusted to me! I leave the rest in your hands, Magi.” Amon spoke before entering into Alibaba’s knife, the boy too concerned with the crumbling dungeon and Morgiana to notice. Aladdin only spared him a brief glance and a nod of thanks before she began tending to the girl and anyone else who was injured.

She was finishing with the last of Jamil’s former soldiers, watching Alibaba who was tidying up his hoard, shooting the soldiers dirty glances every now and again.

_ You’d be proud of him Rashid. _

Smiling to herself as she thought of her old friend. Alibaba may not remember her, but she remembered him from one of her brief stays at the royal palace when she was visiting the late king. A nervous wreck of a young boy who had just lost his mother and been stripped of the harsh world he had known, only to be thrust into a completely new one. A boy who was scared and alone, despised, envied, or ignored by the upper echelons of Balbadd’s aristocracy. The only link left to his mother being his father.

It had taken her years to find him, even with the help of her network and Yunan, but she finally did it, almost having a panic attack after she had been separated from him and moments away from witnessing his demise.

But much like the other beloved idiot in her life, he had made it by sheer force of will and pure dumb luck.

Walking across the floor of light to sit next to the slumbering Morgiana by Alibaba’s treasure bags. Chewing on her lip as she thought long and hard about who would have closed the dungeon. Yunan was out as the man knew her goals, Sheherazade was fading, and that only left… Judar.

Aladdin couldn’t help the bubble of anger that welled up inside her. She knew Judar wasn’t to blame entirely for his actions, he was after all a knowing pawn in  **their** game. But the way he lashed at the world, unable to entirely grasp the concept of being alive in it- it reminded her of how she could have turned out. If she hadn’t been freed by Ugo from the Sacred Palace, if she hadn’t met Sinbad and everyone else. If she had instead fallen into Al-Thamen's clutches.

But there was also another being with the power to seal a dungeon off. Who might have even known Aladdin had gone inside and sought to put an end to her. Who would benefit greatly from Aladdin’s disappearance?

Did Arba know?

Aladdin only knew she was in Kou due to the heavy presence of Al-Thamen, but not who she could be possessing or even what form she had taken.

“Oi, you okay?” Alibaba’s concerned voice floated into her ear. And like that she felt all her worries float away as though they had never been there in the first place. “Whatcha thinkin about?” He asked her nonchalantly.

“Nothing important.” She lied, feeling the tight grip she had on her staff loosen, watching as he knuckles returned to their usual color, having gone white from her harsh grip.

‘That’s good to hear.” Alibaba muttered, sitting down with a groan on Aladdin’s left. The boy looked her in the eye with a smile on his face before pointing, “Seems Morgiana’s taken a liking to you.”   
  


Aladdin blinked in response “She has?” She asked while turning to see what the young fanalis had done. Surprise melted away as her features softened into a slight smile, looking down at the exhausted girl who had curled up into Aladdin’s unoccupied side without her noticing. The girl’s calloused hand tightly fisting Aladdin’s tunic as she held on as if Aladdin were a rock in a storm.

Letting one of her hands run smoothly over the girl's hair, fingernails gently scraping along the girl's scalp as she hummed lightly to herself. The desperate grip loosening until Morgiana was simply holding onto Aladdin. Another weight slumping against her revealed Alibaba had fallen asleep on her other shoulder, and looking up, she saw the surviving soldiers had also fallen asleep.

“I guess it has been a long day.” Aladdin said to no one in particular, cracking her neck with a sigh.

“I guess I can worry about things later, when…” Her words falling short as her own exhaustion caught up with her. Mind blanking as her vision grew dark, heavy lids falling over her eyes as she took her first deep sleep in what felt like ages.

* * *

Alibaba awoke to the midday sun high in the sky, treasure behind him and up above the pit he sat in a gathered crowd stood mouths agape watching him.

As the realization of what he had done sank in, he let out every emotion that had been building up in him over the past few days.

The crowd screamed in excitement along with him. Overjoyed that someone had finally conquered Amon.

* * *

Morgiana awoke slowly, the memory of warmth and security slowly fading before she realized what had happened. Shooting up, she found herself in the farm field outside the main hub of Qishan. A foregin pain sitting like a shard of ice in her heart.

But why?

* * *

Aladdin rarely slept. And when she did she did with her eyes open.

Why?

Because Aladdin was a heavy sleeper and found that she was more apt to wake up in emergencies if her eyes were open. Much to the chagrin of anyone who had the unfortunate luck of finding her like that in the morning.

But when her eyes were closed? When she was sleeping like humans were meant to?

Not even Sinbad’s ultimate magic Baal equip could wake her up.

So with deep breaths, she slowly came to. First noting in the back of her mind the smell of grass. A field, maybe? Then sheep’s milk. Not entirely uncommon but still. Then finally the sheep, which probably should have been first due to their rather… distinct odor.

Then her hearing came back and the first thing was, yep, sheep. The sound of bleating riding on the wind all around her.

With one last deep breath, she opened her eyes to see…

Surprise of all surprise, a sheep.

The fluffy creature had the nerve to bleat in her face before trying to chew on her veil. A quick swat of her crook and the cloud on legs scurried off back into the anonymity of the herd, lest it gather more of the freshly awoken woman’s ire.

With grace and form, Aladdin chose the lazy option of standing up, magic. Floating into the air with a slow spiraling movement before she came back down, her feet landing silently on the long grass of the wide-open pasture.

Looking at her surroundings revealed she was indeed surrounded by sheep.

_ Oh dear _ , she thought to herself.

_ I am not at all anywhere close to where I need to be. _

And as if in confirmation, one of the sheep, a black ram with large curling horns, stopped chewing to look up at her and bleat.

_ Hang in there Alibaba-kun, Morgiana, I’ll be back before you know it. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No idea when I will update next but have something tame written out in a few shorts.


	4. The People of the Plains

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aladdin encounters the Kouga and things take a very different, if not downright odd, turn from canon.
> 
> Warning for sheeptastic mayhem as the author attempts to get further away from canon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Honestly, I'm not super confident with how this chapter came out but still decently enjoyed my foray away from cannon. I've got several snippets now in my rough drafts I might post later if I get bored or fall back in updates.

Now don’t get Aladdin wrong, she had nothing against sheep, loved the fluffy buggers really, she did. But sheep seemed to love her a lot more than she loved them. Didn’t matter if they had been raised from lamb to aged ewe or ram by their owners and shepherds, they all flocked to Aladdin. Which would be nice if they didn’t all swarm her the moment she tried to walk towards the edge of the herd. A hundred bleating sheep all nudging and shoving past one another to get at the Magi and just... stare. That was usually the worst part, they just stared.

Her shepherd's crook staff probably didn’t help. But it was a gift from a friend that she was loath to part with, coincidentally said friend had been a shepherd.

So, with much effort and plenty of sheep sweeping to clear a momentary path, she made it to the edge of the flock. About to go up the hill to get her bearings when a particularly stubborn black ram stopped her by clamping onto her dress.

“Come. On!” Aladdin grunted, entering a match of tug of war with the black ram. On one side, a being of primal power birthed by nature who helped mankind in so many ways, on the other, a woman in her late twenties who was losing to a black cloud on legs.

A quick bop on the head and the ram let go, looking startled as it had not at all expected that to happen. Aladdin scrambling up the hill as fast as she could, cresting the top and finally getting a good view of her surroundings. Vast fields of green grass blowing gently in the summer breeze, on the far edges of the prairie a ring of trees boxed them in before white mountains rose up to brush the sky like sleeping giants.

_I still have no idea where I am._

One second later and the Magi was sent tumbling down by the overly excited ram, leaving a trail of dust rising up behind her on the surprisingly tall hill. Aladdin was left as a heap at the very bottom of the hill, rubbing her head as she recovered, “Mother-” Crude language cut short as she felt the ground started to rumble before taking off like her life depended on it.

“Not again!”

* * *

It had been a trying month for Chagan Shaman, better known by her people as Baba. Reports of slavers near the fringes of their territory. Kou and its armies making a move closer and closer to their central territories, forcing her to decide between death or subjugation. Her people were already frenzied and on edge after Kou had been sighted within a few days march of her village's current location. All of this on top of a missing herd of sheep.

But to make matters worse, a fallen star had been seen the night before just before sunset. An ill omen, or some other form of change yet to come.

She had done the best she could to soothe her people, but if the situation didn’t improve soon, the greatest enemy to the Kouga might not be invaders or slavers, but themselves.

“Baba, Baba!”

It seemed problems preferred to keep coming, one on top of the other. Hopefully, this one would be more easily solved, and quicker too.

“What is it, Toya?” The elderly woman turned to see her granddaughter running up the hill towards her. “Is the sky falling? Plague? Did Dorji finally propose when I wasn’t looking?” She teased with a wink, laughing as her granddaughter turned a brilliant shade of red.

And after much stuttering, Toya was able to answer. “Ah, no, Grandma, but- but- ah, the sheep!” The much younger of the two frantically mimed trying to convey her message.

“Yes, the sheep?” Baba patiently repeated, thinking they had found the missing flock.

“The sheep are rampaging through the village!”

Well, that was… something.

It appeared that when god closed a door he opened a window to ensure new problems could still worm their way in.

“Define, ‘rampaging’, Toya?”

“Well, uh-” The brunette glanced around looking for the words to best describe the woolen menaces. “It looks like they're searching for something, it's actually quite disconcerting how well organized they’re being…” Slowly touching her fingertips together while trying to think of anything else to say.

“And that’s called rampaging?” The Kouga elder snorted.

“It seems they formed a search party of sorts actually.”

Baba sighed deeply, pinching her brow as the problems just kept piling up on her tent flap. “Fine, see what you can do to get them better under control, I’ll try and cook up some medicine and see if I can’t find anything about rampaging sheep.” Waving Toya off to go mitigate damage from the organized mob of wool.

Entering her tent while Toya gave her an affirmative nod before gathering what manpower she could in the village to corral the sheep off. Until Dorji and the rest of the men returned, they just had to hope the fluffy search party wouldn’t get too out of hand. Baba riffled through her things, tossing aside old books and junk, setting aside some herbs that might help pacify the more aggressive sheep.

Coughing when a cloud of dust surprise attacked her after pulling a particularly dusty book off a shelf, when she spotted something that definitely didn’t belong in her home. “What are you doing here?” She said to it, a tall worn shepherds crook with loving marks carved into it. Did someone leave it in here? It definitely wasn’t the typical Kouga style. A merchant maybe?

In her age though, she didn’t so much pick it up as knock it over by accident. Panicking a bit as she stumbled to catch it with her aged reflexes. Except, it never hit the ground.

A slender pale hand having come out to catch it and put it back in its resting place, receding back into the folds of her tent. She never would have noticed the slight bulge in the tent walls if the person hadn’t righted the staff.

Thinking fast Baba came up with a plan.

“Ah, just the book I was looking for, one thousand and one ways to pacify sheep! This’ll show those fluffy menaces.” She said in her best senile grandma voice, which was, in general, her normal voice just done up a bit to make her seem much older and weaker than she was. Making sure to putter loudly and let the noise fade out, flapping her cloak in a pale imitation of the tent flap closing to simulate her exit.

There was a muffled shuffling from behind the curtain followed by a barely audible sigh of relief before the person came out from behind the curtain. A blue-haired woman in a deep blue dress and wearing a white veil.

That was Baba’s moment to strike.

Bringing with her every bit of fury she could muster in her old bones as she smacked the intruder on the head, a tough effort as the stranger in her home was nearly twice her height. All her anger and frustration after all the trouble she’d been forced to deal with within the last month unloaded on the unwitting victim of her vengeance. Her little old arms shaking from the exertion as she struggled to properly bop the fairly taller individual on the head.

“Why are you hitting me?!” The distinctly feminine voice whisper screamed, eyes moist while they nursed their head where the repeated bops from Baba’s cane landed.

“Why are you in my house?” She retorted angrily, huffing as she corrected her cloak and took her disappointed grandma stance, leaning on her cane and putting a hand on her hip while the girl who looked to be in her late twenties cowered in a corner.

The girl mumbled something inaudible, opting to hide her shame by covering her face with her veil.

“I’m sorry?” She asked, slightly bewildered and confused with this stranger in her home.

“I was hiding from the sheep, okay!” The woman loudly complained, pumping her fists up and down in the air from frustration. A distant ‘baaah’ making its way through the tent flap, the woman going still and growing visibly pale.

“You’re hiding, from- the sheep?” Baba clarified bewildered, pointing at the woman and staring at her before busting out in a fit of laughter. The joyous noise only intensified when the sound of suspicious baahing got closer and the woman tried to forcefully smother Baba with a pillow, lest the fluffy menaces found her. It was almost as if the sheep had started a proper investigation into the woman by the way she was acting.

After Baba had stopped laughing and been properly introduced to the blue themed woman named Aladdin, she finally got the story out of the woman after promising not to alert the hooved mob and serving some tea.

“So to clarify,” Baba said after the girl was done with her tale, putting the cup she was sipping down. “You were in a dungeon, in Qishan, and went to sleep when coming out of said dungeon, and woke up in the field surrounded by our missing flock?” Raising an eyebrow at the truly ludicrous story but not voicing those thoughts.

“Hai.” The woman mumbled out quietly, fiddling in her seat while she avoided eye contact with the village elder.

“So why are they after you, the sheep?” She clarified

“I don’t know, okay! The sheep just do it wherever I go and they won’t stop until I’m dead!” The woman yelled in manic terror, once more going still as the bleating of angry sheep could be heard in the distance.

“Did you do something to them?” She asked, not quite believing the fluffy and normally docile creatures could be so vengeful.

“No.”

“And… just about every sheep does this?”

“Yeah.”

“They must really like you then.”

“I guess so…” The woman awkwardly answered, the two falling into a comfortable silence of sipping tea and commenting on the weather, growing quiet whenever the sound of sheep filtered through the tent. Eventually filling the quiet with idle chatter about mundane things, world affairs, flowers in the field, pesky beetles finding their way into jars and blankets, but making sure not to touch the subject of the fluffy menaces currently outside.

Aladdin, Baba soon found out, was quite friendly and an easy conversationalist, finding interest in any and every topic no matter how simple or mundane. Telling wild stories of magic and adventure that had Baba nodding along and feeling more and more like a child with how Aladdin weaved her tall tales. Her elegant hands flying wildly through the air as she wove legends of fighting dragons with blue giants, a peasant boy turned king, and a little old lady who lived in a giant tree on the back of a giant turtle.

She was laughing as the young woman recounted the story of how she was eaten by a giant bird, about the eighth story Aladdin had told Baba that involved her being swallowed by a giant animal, when Dorji burst in exhausted.

“Baba, we’re back, and we got the sheep under control for the moment but… who are you?” The apple of her granddaughter’s eye bluntly asked her afternoon tea companion, having the gall to point as well.

Honestly did she not teach him better when he was growing up and only standing up to her hip. Youth these days. At least Aladdin had offered to make the tea and to clean up for her intrusion into Baba’s home.

But Aladdin beat her to the punch by introducing herself.

“Yo, I’m Aladdin, I was just sitting here and enjoying some of this delicious tea!” Waving at Dorji with an honest mirthful smile, closing her eyes as she held the tea aloft for the Kouga warrior to see.

“Ah- I’m-” Dorji was cut off.

“Baba, Dorji! Big trouble, the sheep got out and somehow spooked the horses, we’ve got mass panic outside!” Toya burst in huffing in between breaths, the poor girl was covered in scuffs and dirt, a trail of hoofprints that looked suspiciously ovine going up her back.

The rest of the tent's occupants evacuated, save Aladdin who opted to finish the last of her tea instead of dealing with the animal panic outside, buying time before she was forced to deal with the fleecy aggressors.

The sight that awaited Baba outside was almost enough to give her a heart attack, almost.

Several tents had collapsed and she could see most of the horses running wildly around while villagers tried to get them under control. And moving with terrifying coordination were the sheep, forming a phalanx as they roamed from tent to tent. Baba didn’t know what was worse, the fact that her children, the renowned and ferocious people of the planes who had nearly conquered the world one hundred years ago, were now reduced to running around like newborn foals, or that the bloody sheep were in the middle of an aggressive takeover.

While Dorji and Toya ran to help the men with the runaway horses, Baba started calling over the cacophony of noise for those not busy to work on securing the animals and making sure no one was injured.

“Oh boy,” Aladdin’s airy voice sounded out beside her, the hem of her robes visible out of the corner of Baba’s eye. “Please don’t let the chaos before you color your perception of my people.” Baba started, shame creeping into her voice that the legacy of her forebears was so soon falling apart even before the armies of a foreign nation were at their door, by sheep no less. “We have been besieged by-”  
  


She heard the deep intake of breath before the loudest whistle cut what she was about to say short. Every head turning to the blue-haired woman beside her, man, horse… sheep. An unnatural silence bearing down heavily on the surroundings like the midday sun on desert sands.

And then Baba saw something truly miraculous before her eyes, the rukh gathering around the girl as she spun her staff in a circle before bringing the end down on the soft earth with finality, her eyes focused as Baba recognized a seasoned magician, no someone of far greater power and significance, cast bonafide magic before her very eyes.

The earth gave a quirk tremor before it started to rise and form walls around the animals. The horses, which had mainly stuck to the outside of the village, were now locked in a tall earthen fence as thick as a man and nearly as tall. While the sheeps' formidable defense was turned against them, a much similar wall except it was much shorter and didn’t give the fluffy terrors nearly as much room as the horses.

“Aladdin, you’re…”

The taller woman turned to Baba as she stared in awe, the rukh still gathering around the woman and making all those previous tall tales less tall and more real by the second. In this moment Baba felt like she was standing before a mountain and not some lost girl traveling and getting attacked by sheep.

And then the truly bizarre happened when the woman bowed before the Kouga leader, asking Baba for forgiveness after causing the mess to her village. Explaining how it was her who had riled the sheep up and inadvertently brought them here when she was trying to hide.

It was probably that, and all the stress from before that had finally made the elderly woman faint. The last thing she saw being those deep sapphires the Magi called eyes looking at her with concern.

* * *

_“What do you think you’re doing there my little princess!”_

_“Ah! Jiji, put me down!”_

_“Ahhh, not until you tell me what you got there my little thief! What is it, one of my books, huh?”_

_“Mhmm!”_

_“I see.”_

_“Jiji! What’s this one mean?”_

_“That one?”_ _  
  
_

_“Yeah!”_

_“That’s ones ‘Magi’, M-A-G-I, ‘Magi’.”_

_“Mah-gi?”_

_“There you go sweetheart!”_

_“What’s a Magi, Jiji?”_

_“Ah, a Magi is a great sorcerer of creation, beloved by the rukh. Where their wand strikes, a city rises and people prosper. Kings bow before their wisdom as the fate of nations can be decided by the whims of Magi. They can conjure great storms and even birth life from stagnant mud. In fact, it was a Magi years ago that chose the first Kouga King. Your ancestor actually!”_

_“Wow, Jiji!”_

_…_

_“Jiji, will I ever meet a Magi one day?”_

_“I don’t know princess, maybe, if you’re lucky, one day the rukh will lead you to someone like that to you.”_

* * *

“Who the hell are you?” Someone aggressively demanded. Was that Dorji? 

“Are you a spy from the Kou Empire?” Khan?

“Wouldn’t it be a little suspicious if a spy from Kou just waltzed into the village and corralled our animals?” That was definitely Toya!

“You have a point, but… still…” Definitely Dorji that time.

“Kou aside, Who are you? Where are you from?” Someone she couldn’t place at the moment in the haze of just waking up asked.

“What is this, fifty questions?” Baba groaned as she sat up from her bed propped up with pillows. Opening her eyes to the concerned gaze of her people sitting tersely across from Aladdin, the Magi thankfully not taking their rudeness to heart and watching the proceedings with mild confusion, looking apologetically at Baba. “Aladdin is a guest in our home, she has helped us with problems born of our carelessness and you’re all just going to sit there like frightened children playing fifty questions?”

“Baba!” Toya cried getting up to help her aging grandmother more easily into a sitting position. The tense atmosphere was momentarily forgotten as everyone crowded around the aged woman.

“Hai hai hai, excuse me. Coming through.” Aladdin gently nudged her way forward, the group making room as the blue-haired woman kneeled before Baba’s bed to look her in the eye. Most people too happy or stunned now that Baba was awake to do much more than comply with her demands and awkwardly step back. “Now then,” She said, “Baba, can you tell me what you last remembered?” She asked, gently moving Baba’s head side to side while focusing on the way the elderly woman’s eyes moved and scrunched up as she tried to recall the day's earlier events.

“I remember the village in panic, and then... you-” Baba stared in shock as the details finally clicked in her head. Aladdin smiled once she ascertained everything with the old woman was okay on a physical basis, asking the room to leave so that she can check on the elderly woman more properly with some privacy.

“You didn’t have them leave for my sake, did you, Aladdin?” Baba warily asked the woman who had come back after shooing the last of Baba’s well-wishers out the door and shutting the tent flap.

“No, not entirely.” She said placing her hands on either side of Baba’s head. A warm comforting feeling emanating from her temples where Aladdin massaged Baba’s scalp, the rukh flying at a lazy pace towards Aladdin, a purplish light emanating where her hand rubbed slow circles into Baba’s scalp. “I suspect you have questions, hmm?” She asked with a lilt to her voice.

_“one day the rukh will lead you to someone like that to you.”_

Baba’s grandfather's voice rang in her head.

“You’re a Magi, aren’t you Aladdin.” She asked once the woman was done, watching as she stood up and brought a chair around to sit properly in front of Baba.

“Mhmm.”

“So why are you here?” She did not want to be disrespectful to someone chosen by the rukh, but given the current circumstances…

“I told you, Baba, I was helping my friend through a dungeon when I woke up here.”

“But how? Why now of all time?” Her voice rising in frustration at the hand fate was dealing to them. So many outcomes and yet each new player that arrived only seemed to muddle the future and make it less clear.

“I don’t know, but I’m here now. Is there something I can help with?”

And with that one simple question, the flood gates broke and Baba vented everything to the Magi. The slavers, Kou coming to their door, rampaging sheep, and every other little thing that had added to her stress. The complicated birth of Nahdia’s, How her left hand was getting harder and harder to write with, the rampaging sheep. Tears streamed down her face as Aladdin patiently sat and waited for her to finish.

When she was done, the Magi smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder, bringing her in for a hug. Telling her it would all work out in the end.

* * *

After her talk with Aladdin, things had slowed down in the village. It seemed the Magi brought a breath of fresh air with her as everyone worked together to get things back on track. The horses were properly cared for and the sheep were taken back to their pasture under the watchful eyes of several embarrassed but experienced shepherds. Tents were righted back into place and the earthen walls Aladdin had made to corral the animals earlier sunk back into the earth like they had never been there.

Before anyone knew it night had fallen and the clan had gone all out to welcome their guest, though none but Baba knew she was a Magi.

She had the right to keep the secret to herself a little longer in her old age after all, as selfish as it was. And she didn’t want the younger generation to attempt or coerce the Magi into helping in their struggles, though Baba would be much appreciative of any help from the sorcerer, no matter how small it might be, just at the woman’s own pace.

Speaking of Aladdin, she was busily reciting her tales of adventure and excitement to the younger children who had gathered around and asked a million questions from the well-traveled woman. Watching in awestruck amazement as the blue-haired Magi used magic to manipulate the fire, telling the story of a young peasant boy on his journey to become king. Even many of the adults were transfixed by her showmanship, even Baba was amused, laughing when the little girl in Aladdin’s story was swallowed by a dragon.

“Baba, a moment please.” One of the more experienced riders of the village requested of her.

Casting one last glance at the crowd gathered around Aladdin before nodding in affirmation, watching as blue flames sprouted from the dragon to form a headless giant before walking with the rider towards the outer perimeter of the party where they were less likely to be overheard.

“I apologize for not bringing this to you sooner but today's earlier… events, prevented me from fulfilling my duties.

“It’s fine,” Baba sighed out, “Things have not been the best they can be, but how are things in the East?”

A moment of hesitation before the rider answered. “Another village has been invaded.”

The elder of the village hummed in discontent, worry lines creasing her brow from the information. Though several problems had been answered today, some still seemed to prevail despite the slightly more chipper attitude.

“I’ll take my leave now.” The warrior stood from his bow after a moment of silence and returned to the party. Baba watching the tense lines in his shoulder diminish but not entirely vanish as he joined his wife. Sighing to herself before looking to the starlit sky above and wondering what her father and grandfather would have done in her position.

So lost in thought and hypotheticals she didn’t hear someone approaching behind her. “Such a sour mood in a place full of life and happiness. Is everything alright Baba-sama?” Aladdin’s bright and chipper voice called out behind her, the elderly woman turning around to see the bluenette leisurely strolling towards her with an easy smile on her face.

“No, just thinking about the future.” She said, turning away when the woman came and stood beside her. The two looking up at the stars in companionable silence. “Say, Aladdin,” Baba started, “what would you do in my situation, Kou at our doorstep and slavers and bandits raiding your villages?” She asked, turning to crane her neck up at the much taller woman.

She had an easy expression on her face, looking at the stars with fascination as if it was the first time she had seen such a common wonder, taking her time to think of a reply. Her deep blue eyes reflected the twinkle of the celestial bodies above as the two were bathed in the gentle moonlight.

“Why do you think I would know, Baba-sama?” She asked looking down at the elderly woman. “I’m just a traveler!” She smiled in feigned ignorance.

Baba was flabbergasted, “But you are a Magi!” She cried indignantly. “A sorcerer of creation! The one who chooses kings and builds nations! The wisest of the wise! The-”

“And what about that makes me qualified to make decisions about **your** people?” Aladdin asked with a chuckle, turning fully to look at the Kouga chief. Her expression was unreadable but gentle, and Baba got the distinct feeling she was being scrutinized like a child being watched by their patient parent who was teaching her how to ride a horse for the first time, shuffling nervously from foot to foot while the Magi silently appraised her.

“Baba,” Aladdin asked, “What is it you want?”

“What do I want?” Baba asked incredulously, how did the wants and desires of an elderly woman far past her prime factor into any of this.

“Hai, what do you want?” Aladdin patiently asked her with a smile.

Baba didn’t know. The gears of her mind furiously turning the question over like it was an unsolvable puzzle. Rewording it in her head as if that would give her the correct answer.

“It’s okay if you don’t know.” Aladdin told her gently, turning to walk back to the party without Baba noticing. “But when you do, I’ll be waiting.” She said with a smile before disappearing into the crowd, leaving Baba to ponder the paradoxical whims of Magi.

* * *

The next day found Baba outside with Aladdin, the woman having come out to help with the ornery sheep who refused to do anything except cause panic without the blue-haired woman around. Now the twelve sheep that had managed to stay near the village and cause the most trouble were following the woman around like a series of white fluffy ducklings. One would never have guessed the stubborn menaces of causing such wanton chaos the day previous.

Leading the procession was the ringleader from yesterday, a black ram with large curling horns, dutifully following the veiled woman around with a smug look on his face, if sheep could be called smug.

Whenever Aladdin stopped the sheep would stop as well and huddle around the Magi, leaving her enough room in front to continue walking while curiously gazing past her.

But the funniest thing was what the ram did anytime one of the village men, and even some of the women, did whenever they got too close to Aladdin. He’d give one bleating battle charge before charging after them, shooing the poor person away while the other sheep let out a cry of their own and joined the chase. Their bloodlust only being satisfied when the sheep decided that the target of their wrath was far enough away from the embarrassed Magi.

It was during one such chase when they weren’t paying attention to Aladdin that she had been approached by another one of the village men. He had just come in from a patrol and was trying to flirt with the oblivious woman, showing off his horse with no small amount of pride when it happened.

The ram had gotten sight of the two interacting and let out a blood-curdling scream before charging. But not at the man, but his horse.

The startled equestrian let out a panicked whinny when the sheep bopped it’s hindquarters and took off. Now, this would not have been a big problem if Aladdin hadn’t been checking the horse’s harness and admiring its handiwork. In a snap moment, the straps had pulled taut around the traveler's hand, taking her along for the ride as she was dragged beside the horse. The sheep wasted no time in giving chase to the much faster domesticate.

_Shit!_

“Dorji! Aladdin’s in trouble! Stop flirting with my granddaughter and help her!” The leader of the Kouga yelled to the young rider who snapped to embarrassed attention before taking off after the equestrian.

“Aladdin!”

The boy wasn’t going to make it if that horse made it to the village edge and could then run freely unrestrained from the village on the wide-open plains. Several others took up the chase, a few grabbing ropes and their own shepherds' crooks to handle the bloodthirsty sheep. The men still on horseback from their patrol outpacing the rest as they neared the struggling Magi pulling on the leather restraints on her hand in an effort to get free.

“Aladdin!”

A foreign rider on horseback appearing from over a nearby hill passed the screaming Dorji and caught up to the panicking stallion. “Take my hand!” She ordered, offering one to the unwilling passenger of the panicked animal. Once she had the woman’s free hand, she pulled out a sword and sliced at the leather. The saddle fell unceremoniously in the dirt like a lead weight and the horse ran a distance away before coming to an uneasy halt, no doubt afraid of further sheep fueled retribution.

“Thank you thank you thank you!” Aladdin cried in relief, now being dragged by the woman on horseback rather than the panicked steed from before, but still being dragged nonetheless. It would be a miracle if her shoes were still intact after all this. “You really saved me back-” And the woman went tumbling when the rider let go. Everyone wincing as she rolled over several times on the ground before taking a long hard face plant into the steppe that signaled the end of her tumble. All those in the village wincing at what was sure to leave a series of bruises if not painful scars and grass stains.

Thankfully, two of the riders were first to assist the fallen Magi who was, miraculously, uninjured from her spectacular cartwheel into the earth. Though her clothes had the worst grass stain of all time on them and she was definitely dazed and out of it judging by the way she was stumbling and leaning for support on the men who had come to help her.

The sheep crying bloody murder but unable to enact revenge on the foreigner as the men and shepherd boys had corralled them, tying up the limbs black ram so he couldn’t cause further damage.

Two others crested the hill on horseback, an older gentleman and an androgynous individual that Baba couldn’t quite decide on from this distance. The two soon joined by the original interloper and discussed something, all three turning their gaze towards her village. The androgynous one had a smile that Baba could see shining even from this distance, the interloper that had _saved_ Aladdin had a determined poker mask in place, while the third individual, the eldest of the three, had what Baba could only describe as a derisive smirk before replacing it with a calm placating smile.

Baba would worry about them later. “Khan,” She called to the rider who was carrying a very green Aladdin in front of him on his horse. “How is Aladdin doing?”

“Well,” Khan started, “She’s breathing as far as I can tell, but, Baba, she hasn’t made any sense, or at least less sense than she usually does, since we first picked her up. Also,” He said turning to his fellow rider, Altan, one of the youngest they had. “She threw up on poor Altan here.” The poor lad was covered in bile along his front, bits of undigested oat from Aladdin’s breakfast clinging to his white clothes. The poor boy looked absolutely miserable and quickly excused himself to go change before the three intruders arrived.

The rest of her village gathered behind her as what she had come to believe was a Kou delegation rode at a slow friendly pace towards them. The pink-clad interloper from before dismounting, followed by her companions and Baba could now get a clear picture of them.

Children? Kou sent children to negotiate with her? Baba bristled at the perceived slight, for the young girl stood in front of her companions bowing in a sign of respect. But she couldn't be older than sixteen! The blue-haired boy beside her, for Baba, could make out the barest distinction of an adam’s apple, seemed even younger. That just left the man to the girl’s left, somewhere towards the latter half of middle-aged with a long beard and shifty demeanor he tried to hide through saccharine smiles. But Baba had met his kind before, shifty and power-hungry, this man was ambitious and had no idea of how far he could fall.

She would have to be careful, for the group looked to be inexperienced or otherwise untrustworthy.

“I am the fourth child of the first emperor of the Kou Empire, Ren Hakuei!” The girl introduced herself. Fourth child of the first emperor? Word may not have quite reached Baba as it used to in her youth when her people were more prosperous, but she was knowledgeable enough to know that Kou was under the reign of their second emperor. “I have come to engage in diplomatic talks.” The newly introduced Ren Hakuei monotoned.

Baba could entertain this at least, try to steer towards a peaceful resolution at the moment.

“Welcome, your highness.” She intoned. “I am the granddaughter of the 155th King of the Kouga Clan, Chagan Shaman!”

“I have heard that name well.” Hakuei bowed deeply in respect, “In the past, there was no horse-riding tribe more prosperous than the Kouga Clan. Legend tells that the first king built the greatest nation in history, the great Kouga Empire, with his sorcerer-like powers.” Ah, so the young girl was well versed in their history? Impressive for one so young.

“However, In recent years, your nation's power has waned. We’ve even heard word at the capital that your people have fallen victim to the slave trade. '' Baba could hear the grinding of her fellow clansmen's teeth. “But your suffering ends today! Come under our patronage!” The girl declared with a proud look, extending her hand in what the young girl probably believed to be a friendly manner but came off more as haughty.

Out of the corner of her eye, Baba could see Aladdin, the girl could recover quick Baba would give her that, watching the proceedings with a neutral expression, she stuck out like a sore thumb among the white-clad Kouga in her current blue and green state. Several of her people suspiciously muttered and slowly grew outraged at the slight But the girl continued as if she didn’t notice, or rather probably didn’t notice.

“We, the Kou Empire, seek to unify the world and bring an end to the pointless conflicts that are fought between nations. From the people of Leam in the west and those of Partevia in the Southwest, to build a unified world without conflict of grief. The same dream your ancestors once pursued in a way.” The Kou princess was expressive but robotic in her mannerisms, almost like she was reading from a script rather than speaking from the heart. An ill omen in Baba’s own. “I ask for your help in realizing it.” She stared down at the smaller woman, having been talking only to her despite declaring the Empire's intentions to the whole of her village.

Quiet whispers of discontent and outrage could be heard all around as the Kouga shared their feelings to one another.

Of course, it was the younger, much more hot-headed generation to make their dissatisfaction known. “In other words, you’re gonna invade our homes, right?” Dorji voiced the major opinions followed by cries of agreement. One raised hand from Baba and they fell silent waiting while she spoke.

“Your highness,” Baba began, “It is best that you not be so impatient and… impertinent with such ambitious and bold declarations.”

The princess actually seemed a bit flustered by this but hid it well from the untrained. A tense atmosphere descending on those gathered that could have been mistaken for a wall if it was any thicker. The princesses' blue-haired companion maintained a bowed and humble posture behind his leader, whilst the eldest of them looked at Baba appraisingly, like he had discovered her to be a magical talking monkey on display that granted wishes if thrown a piece of fruit.

It was Toya that broke the tense atmosphere, bringing out some horse milk wine in an effort to calm the agitated parties. From there they all went inside Baba’s tent to discuss terms and negotiations if she were to accept Kou’s… patronage, and what it would entail on their end. She highly doubted it would be free.

* * *

That night, Baba found Aladdin on one of the hillsides watching the same flock of sheep that had been following her around for the earlier half of the day. The black ram that had been the cause of so much trouble resting his head on her lap while she lazily ran her fingers over his head. It was hard to assimilate such a docile and peaceful creature as the one who had caused so much havoc earlier today and the day previous.

At one point after the negotiation, he had gotten out and almost rammed the eldest of the Kou delegate, a man by the name of Ryosai, before Aladdin had scooped him up out of nowhere and slung him over her shoulders and darted away before anyone had noticed. A shame really, Baba had kinda wanted to see that smug look wiped off the man’s face with a well-aimed goat horn to his pompous ass. The whole of the negotiations he had managed to make every compliment a venomous barb that had Baba more than once wrestling to reign in her own rage and set an example for the men who accompanied her.

The wind blew gently against Aladdin’s veil and made it flap in the cool night air, exposing the long blue braid that was too heavy to do much more than sway.

“Mind if I join you, Aladdin-sama?” She requested.

A noncommittal hum, the elderly woman taking it as a sign she could join the Magi, sitting down with a groan. The black ram gave her the stink eye for waking him up before going back to sleep at Aladdin’s gentle urging.

“I swear if I didn’t believe your earlier story I would have hazard this as a long con to steal our flocks.” Baba jested before companionable silence stretched between the two women as they sat atop the hill looking over the wide expanse of the Tenzan plateau. Parts of the night sky blocked by a sea of clouds that cast deep shadows on the land below.

“Can you believe that Kou wants us to join them?” Baba breathed out, sounding much more her age as she felt the years catching up to her.

“Yes, actually.” Was Aladdin’s airy reply.

‘What! But they-” Baba tried to retort

“Have a noble and lofty goal in mind that many would agree with under different circumstances.” Aladdin cut her off. “And it’s not as if she was wrong when she pointed out the past.” Aladdin said, raising an eyebrow and looking down at her. “Besides, I know many a king, one in particular,” she mumbled the last part under her breath, “who would agree about a world under one system.”

Baba’s only response was to put her staff in her lap and frown down at her hands, worry evident on her features in the moonlit night as her knuckles turned white from her worrying grip.

“Say, Baba,” Aladdin started, her face unreadable as her veil hid it from view while she looked up at the moon above. “Have you put thought into what I said before, about what you want?”

Baba snorted, “I have rolled it around, yes, but I still don’t think the desires of an old biddy like me should have any deciding factor in my decision as the Kouga leader.” She huffed.

Aladdin looked at her, concern and confusion evident in her eyes. “But of course it does.” She said, “It is the desires of leaders and kings that shape the future of their people. And while it is sometimes wise to distance your own emotions from the matter, it is not pertinent, nor wise, to ensure all your decisions lack emotion and passionate drive behind them. Whether you like it or not, Chagan Shaman, you are their leader and they look up to you. It is your care and love that has brought the Kouga this far. Do not forget that it was the love and dedication of your forebears that made this nation prosper.” She said, prodding a finger in Baba’s forehead to further drive her point home.

Aladdin’s words stirred something in Baba that she hadn’t felt since she was a little girl watching her grandfather ride in from battle. Tall and regal, assured in his decisions as he helped his people. Feeling so small and insignificant next to this woman who she had only known for the shorter end of a week and yet already finding herself under the woman’s sway.

What did she want?

For once, Baba took the question into deeper consideration since it was asked of her. She was old, too old to be leading the Kouga, but Toya was not ready. She had no need for gold or trinkets that Kou could offer her. They did not need food nor other resources. Turning to her people, gathered around fires or huddled in tents with their friends and loved ones, laughing and singing as the night went on.

This, this is what she wanted to protect with her dying breath. So what if they submitted to Kou? Would it be the end of their lives and the world as they knew it?

No.

“I see you found your answer.” She could hear the smile on Aladdin’s face, a proud happy grin that stretched from ear to ear at Baba’s moment of eureka.

“It seems I have.” She whispered to herself, unable to draw her eyes away from her children, already knowing what her next move would be and hoping that her people would understand her reasoning.

An alarmed uproar had the two women turn to the source of the noise, the black ram bleating in irritation before getting up and wandering back to the flock, too tired to care by this point. “Baba!” It was Altan who screamed, cresting the hill at a frantic pace. “It’s Toya, she and the others are missing and one of the men on lookout said they saw a cart bearing the Kou insignia riding off!”

“What?” The elder exclaimed.

“Don’t worry Baba, I’ll handle this.” Aladdin said with determination, her robes ruffling as she floated off the ground, about to head off when Dorji and the others arrived in full gear.

“No,” Baba spoke, clear determination in her voice. “Aladdin, as much as we appreciate your help, we Kouga have not survived for generations on the kindness of strangers. This time, we will defend ourselves. That is my decision!”

The Magi looked surprised before smiling and returning to Earth.

“Do not kill any of the enemy, no matter what. If you kill even one of them, there will be war.” The elder of the Kouga clan told her gathered troops. “Understood!” Just because she had agreed to peace talks, did not mean she would stand by and let her people, much less her granddaughter, be taken from their homes in the dead of night.

The men pausing as they reigned in their anger before taking off. “I’m counting on you to bring them home safely!” The elderly woman prayed.

With that done, Baba began the next phase of her plan, knowing that just bringing them back would only stall the inevitable. She, as their leader, had to act. Now.

“Aladdin,” She spoke, rolling over her request in her mind, not at all deteriorated despite her eighty years. “There is something I do, however, I request of you.” She bowed towards the Magi in a show of humility concerning her risky request.

* * *

Hakuei steepled her fingers as she sat at her desk. Today’s events could not have gone worse in her mind. Her attempt to save the oddly dressed woman earlier was the most disastrous as her hands were so moist with sweat that the woman had slipped out and taken a dive onto the grass. Thankfully, unharmed, though it had not endeared her to the people she was trying to have join her.

The negotiations had been a sour affair. The Kouga too wary and unhappy with the previous event, not at all smoothed over by her declaration of goodwill. She knew she had messed up despite the hours of practice she had put in during their journey here. She was thankful for Ryosai's help but it felt wrong, almost like the man was undermining her authority in some way despite his helpful actions.

She knew the men didn’t respect her, definitely not like her siblings.

Gritting her teeth in anger as tears threatened to spill down her face.

Dammit! This was supposed to be her time to prove herself. To her people, her country, her family, but most of all, to him. To show him that she didn’t need him watching over her every move and babying her. Ever since _that_ night, he had always been there, two steps ahead of her. He didn’t let her train, work, or even eat without him being there. And she knew he had tried to prevent her from coming here, arguing with Kouen and their uncle long into the late night.

Even Kougyoku was doing better than her, just a year older and already having conquered a dungeon whilst _he_ had barred every attempt of hers at talking with their Oracle to let her test herself. To go into a dungeon of her own and find true power!

But for some reason, Judar always relented to his whims in the end.

“Good evening!” A voice from above spoke. The young princess looked up to see the woman from before and the Kouga elder riding atop a magic carpet.

A dungeon capturer, here! But there had been no intel of such an entity being among the Kouga or even of a dungeon rising on the plateau.

“Mind if we chat, Oneesan?” The woman smiled down at her, her long blue braid blowing gently in the wind.

Hakuei took a step back, reaching for her weapon on her desk before she felt a tug and was sent flying into the air, landing on the flying square of fabric as it rapidly ascended into the air and away from the camp.

_Shit, shit, shit, shit!_

Having reached a suitable altitude, they stopped, remaining suspended far above the ground. Her soldiers appearing like ants below her, performing their duties and completely unaware that she had been kidnapped and left defenseless miles above the ground.

“I am sorry for the intrusion,” The elder of her two kidnappers spoke, bowing slightly in repentance, “But we felt it best if we could step away and talk, leader to leader, without the prying and judgemental eyes of our respective peoples butting in.”

“And you expect me to believe this after you’ve kidnapped me?” She retorted, looking for an opportunity to escape or call for help but knowing one would not appear.

“To be fair,” The blue-haired woman said with a cheshire smile. “It was my idea to kidnap you.” She said before sticking her tongue out at Hakuei in a childish manner. Quickly reprimanded by the elder Chagan Shaman with a quick thwack to the head with her wooden staff.

The blue-haired woman dressed no at all like the Kouga rubbed the impact spot while her companion spoke, ignoring the petulant complaints of a woman nearly twice Hakuei’s age and yet whining like a child who had been reprimanded for trying to sneak a sweat before dinner. “I would like to discuss the terms of this patronage, more specifically, how to secure an alliance with Kou.”

Hakeui wasn’t sure if it was the altitude talking or maybe if all this was a weird dream. The idea of having a golden opportunity land in her lap after today's events seeming ludicrous, almost too easy. There had to be a catch.

“What’s the catch?” She voiced her thoughts bluntly.

“No catch,” The elder spoke, looking to her companion who was simply smiling at the interactions, taking some form of wicked joy from all this madness. “A wise friend had simply reminded me of what it is I am reaching for as a leader, my goal first and foremost is the safety of my people. I will do whatever I must to ensure their lives are not lost or wasted in vain, even if it means bowing to the power of Kou. It is true we have stood strong for generations, but our power is waning. If we are to survive, we must change.”

“I see,” Hakuei responded. The two’s discussion evolved into the complexity of what this treaty would imply.

Simply put, the Kouga would receive materials and aid, and in return would protect Kou’s eastern flank while participating in their more turbulent campaigns should the need arise, providing strong cavalry units. The two soon coming to a consensus on when the official treaty would be signed sometime tomorrow before noon.

And with that, Hakeui was released back onto the ground with none of her troops the wiser. She would have to talk to Kouen about this serious breach in security when she returned to the capital. Watching the magic carpet sail away and shrink into the horizon, a niggling sensation appearing in the back of her head prevented the image of that strange blue woman from escaping.

Wasn’t the Kouga village west of their encampment? Why were they flying North, towards the forests? Why did a blue-haired magician sound familiar to her?

“Hakuei!” Seisyun Ri spoke behind her, “I’ve been looking all over for you, listen somethings going on. The general has been addressing the men without you and a cart just came back damaged, supposedly by the Kouga!” The short blue-haired man reported worriedly.

Something wasn’t right. Not about what was happening in her camp, not about where those two flew off to, and definitely something about the Kouga chief’s companion.

“Seisyu, ready our horses, we need to move.” She told her attendant.

“Wait, what? Why?” He questioned, panic rising in the pit of Seisyu’s stomach.

“Now!” She all but bellowed, her friend and confident rushing off ahead to make sure the horses were ready for what she hoped was a midnight jaunt.

Something didn’t feel right to her, and she felt this strange woman who looked out of place would be the key to solving all her problems.

* * *

“You're late,” Aladdin irritably chided the golden insect as it landed on her open palm. The small beetle had been ordered to come to her since she first arrived but had taken its sweet time. _Better late than never_. Aladdin supposed in her head. “Now hurry up, I haven’t got all day… or night rather.” She corrected herself, having found a secluded spot in the woods north of the steppe where she could talk in private, setting Baba down a bit aways under the watchful eyes of her many insectoid servants.

Familiar magic coursing up her arm and through her hand, a soft golden sphere of light surrounding the beetle in her hand and making it hover inches off her the open appendage. The chirping sound of gathered rukh filling the air as they rose up in a column, too thin to be seen by any magician from a distance, shooting up from the golden ball and streaking across the sky and vanishing into its depths.

“Hello?” The easy-going voice of Yunan spoke from the beetle, a wobbling imitation as it hummed out from the beetle’s rapidly beating wings. “Aladdin?”

“Yo, Yunan, I’m in a spot of trouble and want your advice!” The muffled sound of things being pushed aside came from the other end as Yunan directed more of his attention to Aladdin.

“You didn’t get eaten again, did you? I swear every time you get involved with a king vessel something has to gobble you up.” The calm voice of her friend and confidant teased from the other end.

“No, I’m in a region East of Qishan on the Western border of Kou.” She explained childishly with a pout. The line going deathly silent while cicadas chirped innocently in the warm summer night.

“ _They_ haven’t caught you, have they?” He asked, a dangerous tone that made Aladdin nervous as she was so unused to hearing it. The man who had been her first true teacher with magic having only ever used it once, nearly a decade ago when she lost Ugo. And even then it hadn’t been directed at her.

“No, but they might catch wind if I don’t hurry and leave.” She said in an attempt to calm the blond on the other end, knowing he’d be here in a heartbeat if he sensed something was amiss.

“And why haven’t you?” He queried from the other end, voice thankfully void of those previous dark undertones.

“Well,” She laughed rubbing the back of her head, “You see I-”

“You got attached again, didn’t you? Weren’t you supposed to help this Alibaba kid and now you are further away than when we last talked and told me you had been watching him for a week?” Yunnan interrupted her, making Aladdin shift awkwardly from foot to foot. “What happened?” His voice took on a more patronizing note.

Aladdin sighed before telling him everything. About watching Alibaba work for two weeks, observing the king candidate. The slave girl Morgiana and the downfall of her master in Amon, a dungeon Yunan had raised actually. And how someone had closed the dungeon off, or at least attempted to, which was likely the culprit of her current predicament.

“You wouldn’t happen to be the one that did that, right?” She asked, the unspoken threat promising a beetle themed torment clear in her tone.

“Why would I even do such a thing.” Yunnan whined on the other end. “You’d been hyping up this Alibaba kid for so long, why would I go and close the dungeon when you might be in it?”

Aladdin sighed at Yunan’s logic, leaving only one other candidate that might have been there to close the conquered dungeon.

“You don’t think…” Yunnan asked, worry evident in his tone.

“No, I don’t think _they_ knew I was in there. To be honest, I don’t think they know where I am now. Or else they’d have made the situation ten times worse.” She responded.

“You have a point,” Her fellow Magi conceded, “So what are you going to do?”

“I was thinking-”

“No!”

“But why not?” she moaned like a child that had been told no, which she technically had.

“Because then _they_ will definitely know you are there.” He warned her, more so against what she was contemplating doing than _them_ actually getting there.

“I’d just raise the dungeon, one teeny tiny dungeon, cause a little bit of worry and concern, and be on my way. I wouldn’t even lead someone inside. The two leaders have already agreed to peace and to work together, this would only be done to distract Kou and buy me some time to leave while they’re distracted.” She reasoned with the man.

Her only response being a deep groan. “Fine!” He conceded, “But if I don’t hear from you in a day I’m coming to get you.” He threatened her.

“Hai hai hai.” Aladdin said with a sigh, already regretting contacting the overly protective man.

“I’m serious Aladdin.” Yunnan warned.

“And so am I.” The child of Solomon responded seriously, standing tall as her decision was codified. Her only response before the line was cut being a tired sigh from her long time friend.

With her business done, she went to gather Baba, the lack of angry beetle chirping letting her know the elderly woman was fine.

“Did everything with your friend go well, did you come to a decision?” Baba asked getting up with a groan, Aladdin aiding her while several multicolored beetles flew away having done their job. The taller woman nodding in affirmation before walking deeper into the woods.

“So you’re going to raise a dungeon then? Why? The peace talks worked out.” Baba huffed, trying to keep up with the woman’s longer strides in the undergrowth and understand her twisted logic.

“As a distraction, even should war break out, should the peace talks fail, enough of Kou’s force might be diverted into a dungeon in order to secure it and its power, giving you and your people enough time to escape.” Aladdin reasoned with the lagging elder.

“You would have us abandon our homes after helping us find peace? Do you hope the deal will fail?” Baba angrily huffed behind Aladdin, out of breath as she tried to keep up with the woman's gait.

Aladdin stilled, an unsettling movement that had Baba stumbling to stop as well. Watching transfixed as Aladdin shot her a defiant look, once more reminding Baba of who she was conversing with.

“I intend for you to survive.” She calmly declared, once more walking deeper into the woods with Baba trailing behind nervously.

The two all the while unaware of two pairs of eyes watching them the entire time from the shadows.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Still no clear schedule for updates but I've got a lot more time on my hands thanks to Corona.
> 
> Never knew my lifestyle was called quarantine though...
> 
> Hope all of you are doing well and keeping safe. Be careful out there and practice social distancing and basic hygiene, make sure to wash your hands every chance you get with soap and hot water.


	5. Dungeon of Doom

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Our intrepid adventurers all make a mad dash to claim the dungeon's power while Aladdin just wants to leave.
> 
> Imma put the warning here but sexual content and nudity up ahead but this is Magi so that should be expected on at least a slight level.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I legit hate trying to be clever with these dungeons. I'm just glad I chose to avoid riddles.
> 
> Fuck riddles.

Aladdin could feel Baba’s eyes on her. The old woman watching with unraptured attention as the Magi worked, weaving her hands before her in carefully thought out patterns. The spell firmly within her grasp just waiting for it to be released.

But raising dungeons, conversely to what one might expect of a Magi, was no easy feat. First, the Magi had to ascertain if there was an available dungeon to summon, using a form of deep meditation to connect with the deeper flow of the rukh. Once a dungeon, or several if the Magi were lucky, were found, the Magi summoning the dungeon had to gather vast quantities of magoi to raise the structure. The dwellings of the Djinn were not underground as most would believe but had their foundations in another world entirely with only the smallest portion of it appearing in their world.

A good analogy would be to think of the dungeon exterior like a statue buried in the sand, with only the teeniest tiniest barest tip of it sticking out.

Fortunately, Aladdin was more practiced in the art of raising dungeons than she would have liked, so finding an available djinn and gathering the energy to summon the dungeon wasn’t all that difficult. So with one final flicking gesture of her hands, she released the spell.

Now, it was up to the djinn she had summoned to do their part.

“Is that it?” Baba asked bewildered, looking around as if the dungeon would suddenly pop into existence right in front of them with a  _ welcome, death trap inside, please enter _ sign. “I thought it would be… bigger?” She vaguely waved her hands in front of her face like a stage magician performing sleight of hand.

“Yup!” Aladdin popped the P, whipping her veil off with a casual grace and with practiced ease, positioned it on the ground for take-off. “Now, we watch the fireworks.” Pulling Baba onto the grounded fabric with the crook of her staff before taking off. The two rising higher and higher and a good distance away for safety.

“Is it going to burst out of the ground or fall from the sky?!” Baba asked like an excited child, reminding Aladdin of the first time she had watched Yunnan raise a dungeon when she was around fourteen. “Or will it materialize out of thin air- ooh I’m so excited! How can you be so nonchalant about this!?” The elderly woman complained with a wag of her finger, flying through a myriad of energetic emotions as she continued to wonder the _ what _ , _ when _ , and _ how  _ the dungeon would appear.

“Because I basically do this everyday,” Aladdin answered sarcastically with a mirthful smile on her face, enjoying Baba’s enthusiasm.

A flock of birds taking off below them, rising above the canopy while the wind whipped their hair and clothes about. “Ah, I see.” Baba continued to look around excitedly but still saw nothing. Thoughts of doubt seeding in her head like a poisonous weed. Sitting back with a huff and about to complain once more when a deep rumble signaled the approaching death trap.

The elderly woman holding the edge of the flying carpet in an excited death grip as she watched what looked like a tiny tree sprout out of the Earth and grow to stand above its brethren where they had been standing only moments ago.

“Is that-”

The surrounding forest was devastated in one swift moment as the structure rose to its full height, the noise and whiplash from displaced air cutting Baba off and forcing the two to cover their eyes and mouths as dust exploded outward from the dungeons' rather eccentric entry. The structure was a large ziggurat with huge flat platforms making up its base, lush foliage and foreign trees sprouting up from the different levels to make a beautiful garden. The sound of rushing water could be heard as streams gathered to form small falls that gurgled over the edge of their boundaries and tumbled down to the level below, disappearing under the Earth once they flowed down to the forest floor. The dungeon entrance glowing ethereally at the top of the structure. The subtle scent of flowery perfumes that put the mind at ease invaded the surrounding countryside as a warm breeze seemed to emanate from the alien structure.

“What was that about it not working?” Aladdin jabbed the comment at Baba, the woman’s indignant huff inciting a hearty laugh from the blue-haired Magi as the slowly descended towards the dungeon at Baba’s instance.

“Look here, it’s almost like glass! I’ve never se-”

“Ah!” Aladin warned Baba, gripping the elderly woman’s hand and pulling it back with a patronizing look in her eyes. “One touch and you’ll get sucked in!” She warned, wagging her other finger a few measly inches from Baba’s face. I’ve even seen people yanked in by their capes… and hair…” she mumbled the last part as a whisper. “So no touching unless you're sure it’s what you want.”

Letting go of Baba’s thin and shaking wrists, the old Kouga woman nursing the slightly bruised appendage from where Aladdin had unceremoniously gripped it for her warning. Briefly contemplating throwing the girl in before quickly thinking otherwise.

The elderly woman looked once more at the mirror-like surface, so very tempted to just touch it and scratch at the nagging itch in the back of her head, wondering what mysteries lay inside but knowing full well she might as well be signing her own death warrant. A thought abruptly coming to mind as the usual sounds of the forest at night once more began to fill the air.

“What is required to get this power of, what did you call it, the Djinn?” Baba asked.

“Nothing really, you just need to survive death on almost an every second basis and reach the treasure room, provided there is no one else seeking the power of the Djinn, and then it just goes inside your weapon, or armor, or jewelry, and there you go. You have the power of kings.” Aladdin explained, her hands waving magically in the air while she wore the blandest look on her face.

“That’s it?” Baba asked, “Nothing else?” Clearly not believing the process could be summed up so briefly.

“Yeah that’s-” The Magi cut herself short, looking out over the treetops from the top of the structure. “Do you hear that?” She asked. Reposturing her staff and getting into a more defensive stance, maneuvering herself to stand in front of Baba with their backs to the dungeon.

A tense moment of silence where the two stood waiting for whoever or whatever to appear, sweat trickling down the back of Baba’s neck while she tried to think of all the creatures that lived on the plateau that might try to make a meal of them.

It was coming up from the stairs, judging by how Aladdin was looking at them. So that ruled out any of the large avians that roosted in the mountains. Maybe a leopard come down the nearby mountains for some late-night hunting? No, they usually only came down when the cold winters forced them to look for food in the lowlands.

And then Baba heard it. “Do you hear-”

“Shoo!” Aladdin quieted her, gripping her staff more firmly while widening her stance.

“Here it comes.” The sound of whatever approaching sounded frantic, almost mad with how it scrambled up the steps.

Nothing could have prepared them for what came next. The blackened silhouette of the amorphous blob bounded high into the air before coming down. Aladdin wasted no time in launching a ball of fire at it, hoping more so to scare the creature off rather than make an impromptu barbecue. But the shadowy mass dodged with supernatural reflexes before letting out a strangled scream and charging.

Aladdin was about to let loose a stream of high-temperature fire before Baba bewilderedly recognized what it was, shaking Aladdin to get her attention. “Aladdin, isn’t that-”

“The ram!” Aladdin exclaimed in dumbfounded shock, slackening her grip as the fast-moving ovine quickly covered the distance as it tried to get closer.

“What the hell are you doing he-argh!” Aladdin sputtered out as the black ram, well… rammed, into her at full force, looking far too happy that it had found the woman after waking up in a panic and realizing she had disappeared without a trace.

Unfortunately, the ram’s happy greeting was all it needed to send a stunned and woefully unprepared Aladdin flying backwards and into the dungeon gate. Baba only belatedly realizing that she was still attached to Aladdin as she too was sent into the dungeon.

_ “NOT AGAIN!” _

* * *

“Anything?!”

“No, we can’t find them anywhere!”

“Where could they hav-”

“Damnit, enough!” Dorji yelled over the panicked queries of his clansmen, his fist banging on the wood of Baba’s with a final crack as everyone fell silent. All eyes on him as he stood up, watching and waiting for his decision. No one had seen Baba and Aladdin leave, and the consensus of the village had been that the original kidnapping was a set up for Kou to steal away with Baba in the middle of the night.

The only question was what role Aladdin played in all of this, innocent victim or a backstabbing spy for Kou.

It all added up too funny for anyone's liking. The ridiculous story of her waking up with their lost sheep, probably just a means to integrate and earn their trust. Then Kou just magically arrived to  _ save _ Aladdin from an accident. And now Baba was missing after an initial kidnapping.

“I say we ride out and put every one of those Kou bastards on a pike! Show them why the Kouga have been feared for centuries!” Someone in the crowd roared, the rest of the Kouga letting out shouts of agreement.

He knew he shouldn’t. Dorji knew what Baba would have thought of these thoughts. But this was Baba that was missing. Baba, that had been kidnapped after trying to come to a mutual consensus with the enemy. But was it worth it to make friends with a group that had proven themselves time and time again to be the enemy?

“Wait now!” Toya’s placating voice called out above the ruckus, the group falling into a discontented silence. “Maybe they just went to help, to look for us too! Aladdin is a magician, maybe she convinced Baba to let her help and-”   
  


“When will you wake up Toya!” Someone shouted, several members of the mob shoving and pushing as they yelled in agreement. “That bitch was obviously with Kou from the start! Everyone knows Kou’s been accumulating those freaks and putting them to use in their army! I even hear they went into some of those dungeons and brought out monsters with them!” More roars of agreement filling the tent.

“Guys!” Altan burst in, coming back from a scouting mission, Dorji had sent several riders out to look for clues. “Something happened in the northern woods! Some structure, it’s huge!”

Several cries of “What?!” and “Explain?!” rising up from the gathering.

“I- I- I don’t know how to describe it.” Altan floundered for words. “It, like, it reaches up higher than the trees and there's this giant tree on top of it with flowers and vines everywhere!” His hands flying through the air as he tried to convey what he had seen. “It’s massive, practically flattened the forest when it burst from the ground. And it smells.” He said the last part out of breath and slightly confused.

“Smells?”   
  


“Yeah, kinda good actually.” He sheepishly mumbled the last part.

“Burst from the ground?” Someone else said, several others muttering under their breath the same question.

But Dorji’s mind was flying as he digested the words Altan reported. Standing up and knocking something off Baba’s desk by accident, several clansmen cried out in shock and asked him what he was doing as he ruffled through Baba’s things, looking for one item in particular. With a grunt of effort, he pulled out a solid wooden chest that had remained hidden under Baba’s things. Briefly fiddling with the lock in an effort to open the damned thing.

“What are you- Dorji!” Toya protested when he gave up with the fucking lock and bashed the pommel of his sword against it, breaking the rusted iron off and flinging the lid off as he did so. Toya shaking his shoulder and demanding to know what he was doing while the rest of his clansmen watched in anxious silence. The occasional question as someone in back asked what he was doing popping up now and then.

Dorji eventually found what he was looking for, an old scroll that had been passed from Kouga leader to Kouga leader until finally coming into Baba’s possession when she took up her father’s mantle. Unfurling the yellowed parchment, Everyone's neck craned to look over his shoulder and see what he had found, his eyes scanning the page until he found it.

_ And from the Earth, the tower appeared. _

_ A structure beyond recognition before the first King of the Kouga. _

_ And held within its depths and trials, the power of kings. _

“Dorji…” Toya shakily asked him, her hand squeezing his shoulder in concern as she pieced together what he had, “You don’t think…”   
  


A feral grin spread across Dorji’s face as he stood back and observed the answer before him, the answer to all the Kouga’s troubles.

“Everyone, suit up, we’re heading North! And then, we’re gonna send those fuckers from Kou a message they’ll never forget.” A battle cry rising up from the mob, fists held high before they all hurried to get ready. Leaving a nervous Toya to anxiously finger the unrolled scroll, praying that Baba and Aladdin would come home soon.

Her eyes looking tearfully at the monstrous figures depicted in the scroll, teeth and tentacles barred and flailing at the hero king of legend depicted with a blazing sword held aloft, standing atop a pile of bones.

Before anyone died.

* * *

_ It’s getting stronger in here, that smell. _ Baba thought, trudging behind Aladdin within the protective boundary of her, what did Aladdin call it again? A borg?

After their rather… embarrassing entrance into the dungeon, Aladdin had explained their situation to her. 

_ “We’ll have to wait for someone to come in after us and henge our bets on them, regardless of affiliation,” Aladdin explained gravely. “Unless someone better arrives.” She added as a happy afterthought. _

_ “But you’re a Magi!?” The elderly woman cried incredulously, “Can’t you just make the dungeon spit us out? And what sorcerer of creation gets beaten by a goat!?” She angrily exclaimed whilst pointing violently towards said ovine. The bastard having the audacity to try and chew on the glowing moss of the cavern they were in and not at all feel guilty for the situation he had caused. _

_   
_ _ Aladdin had a blank expression on her face, refusing to admit guilt to such shameful accusations. “No, and as magicians, we are unable to use the djinn’s power ourselves and leave.” _ _   
  
_

_ “Can’t we just ask it to send us outside?!” _

_ “Oh…” Aladdin uttered cluelessly, “I never thought of that.” _

So now the two, technically three if one counted the goat trapped in a bubble periodically ramming its confines, wandered through the maze of tunnels and corridors that made up the interior of the dungeon, Paimon, if she recalled correctly. A light-up ahead signaling a larger room where Aladdin had previously indicated challenges and death traps usually resided.

Her eyes were unused to the brightness that the room exuded so she didn’t quite catch Aladdin had stopped, bumping into the woman and almost falling over.   
  
“What is it now…” She asked, looking at Aladdin's slack-jawed and wide-eyed expression, soon finding why and quickly mimicking the Magi’s shocked reaction.

“HELLO, BEAUTIFUL LADIES!”

* * *

The banners of war were held high aloft, all 100 soldiers from Kou gathered before the general Ryosai and his confederates. The man couldn’t be happier at the situation but hid it well behind a veneer of outrage and concern for the poor princess.

Originally his plan had been to undermine her authority and subvert control, proving that a young slip of a girl who had never left the palace was unfit to command an army. He had been at those talks with the Kouga, feeding them honeyed words and backhanded compliments while the princess defended him, unaware of his ulterior motives. He would be the one to hand control of the western front to the General Commander and work his way up the hierarchy, cutting down these foolish upstarts from the royal family pretending to play soldier, starting with the first emperor's only daughter before wrestling control from the rest until he himself was designated General Commander.

But things had changed.

One of his subordinates loyal to him had reported Ren Hakuei’s disappearance from the fort, and with a few rumors carefully spun into the gossip mill of the troops, he had managed to plant the idea that the Kouga had kidnapped their beloved princess.

Yes, Ryosai couldn’t help but smirk as the soldiers gathered before him demanded blood. Yes, everything was going according to plan, and if Ren Hakeui happened to die in the crossfire, then who could blame him? Now all he had to do was-

“General, general!” One of the platoon's scouts yelled coming in.

“You dare interrupt an important war council? It had better be good.” He growled out to the lowly soldier that had run onto the platform he had been using to address his troops.

The boy was gasping for breath as he fumbled to get into a respectable bow before reporting. “Sir, a dungeon has been sighted rising from the earth towards the north!” He eventually spat out.

The general eyed him appraisingly, considering his next actions before a wide grin split his face. Turning to his troops who had been observing the whole fiasco, he addressed them. “Change of plans men! It seems god has smiled on us and our oracle has blessed us with the power we need to wipe these barbarians off the face of the map! We shall conquer this new dungeon, and then I shall wipe out this blight on our Empire’s borders! For victory!” He proclaimed, raising his sword to the thunderous cheers of his troops.

* * *

Hakeui couldn’ believe she had done this, was doing this! Her and Seishun had arrived while the Magi, because the strange woman who had accompanied the Kouga leader was undoubtedly a Magi, was talking to the unknown man through a beetle. Listening as she talked about raising a dungeon and then watching said woman actually raise a dungeon!

The two had nearly been buried by the massive structure when it burst from the ground destroying everything nearby. No wonder Judar had never risen one inside or near the capital.

While they hadn’t seen her enter, they knew the elderly Kouga leader, Chagam Shaman, was with her.

But that raised the question of did the Magi intend on giving the power of the djinn to the old woman. It didn’t seem likely, from what she had read in the reports the Kouga leader was in her eighties and likely to die of old age before she could put to use the power of kings.

Did they intend to wait inside and clear the way for another of the Kouga to claim the power? Was this an attempt to block the Empire’s expansion westward? Give them the upper hand in future negotiations or was it all a ploy to lull her into a sense of false security? But then why the woman’s plans to run? What did anything she had to say with the unknown man have anything to do between Kouga and the Kou?

From what she had gleaned from the Magi’s conversation with the man, it didn’t sound like she was all too fond of Kou.

Or rather, the organization behind the current government.

What Hakeui knew of the organization was little. She knew they were responsible for the death of her eldest brothers and father, that they were the ones to burn Rakushou and scar Hakuryuu. The grip on her sword hilt tightening as the screams of the dying resurfaced. Of her and Hakuryuu running through their blazing home, surrounded by an inferno. Hakuryuu pushing her out of the way and taking the brunt of a falling beam that should have killed him, should have killed her, and smiling that awful smile while he reassured her nothing was wrong. The same one he used now when he had something to hide he thought would upset her.

But that was it.

Just the snippets of conversation she had managed to eavesdrop from her brother and his generals, Seiryuu Ri and Kokuhyou Shuu. And even then she had been caught, her brother scolding her like a child out of bed and escorted her to her rooms. The three growing more tight-lipped and distant whenever specific topics came up or they thought Hakuei was within hearing range.

But this woman, this Magi, this… Aladdin knew about the organization. And from what she could gather, didn’t like them either.

“Do you smell that? Seishun asked beside her, swords at the ready.

She did, it was a fruity scent that was much more pungent than the floral scents outside. “Yes,” and she didn’t like it. They had been wandering through the dungeon looking for the duo that had entered before them for about an hour now. Weren’t dungeons supposed to be filled with monsters and traps? But there was nothing. No giant wasps or man-eating plants, no rolling boulders or dart traps. Nothing.

It made the hairs on the back of her neck stand up. So it was sort of a mixed blessing with the smell growing stronger and stronger until they entered a brightly lit room where the smell seemed to emanate from.

“Oh! More beautiful ladies to join the party!” A flirtatious voice spoke up as their eyes adjusted. The two teens' jaws dropped to the floor as they took in the large, voluptuous blue form of the djinn. A black leather corset with shiny metal ringlets decorating it and that was the end of her wardrobe it seemed. Nothing to cover her breasts, each nipple pierced with a ring and connected by a silver chain. “I am Paamon, and this is my lovely Trial of the flesh!” The djinn spoke, bowing her torso while holding her arms wide to emphasize the possible death trap, thankfully her legs were hidden in that telltale djinn wispy tail.

The room was a large expanse of natural hot springs where water gurgled out and colorful steam filled the air. But that wasn’t the trial's main draw, no, that would be too easy. The main attraction for the Trial of the Flesh was the many, many, many bodies loitering about, relaxing in the hot waters of the room, engaging in… less than pg activities. It was all Hakuei could do to maintain her composure and not try to cover her face from embarrassment, fairing far better than her retainer who was at first angry with the djinn for mistaking him for a female before he recognized the other occupants of the room, turning bright red and desperately trying to keep his blood inside his face instead of bursting from his orifices.

Hakuei’s eyes swiveled in their sockets as she tried to find a way forward, being met with the sinful flesh of hot naked men and women, all beckoning her to join them with a friendly demeanor and seductive smile.

What would they do if she joined them? Her mind running wild with what devious death they would deliver if she got too close. Would they strip her flesh clean from the bone and eat her raw? Drown her in the water? Or was it hot enough to cook her?

“Ahah!” Paamon exclaimed happily, her large form squishing against the ground as she attempted to get a better look at Hakuei who tried to take several shaky steps back only to fall on her ass. “Are you a virgin? It’s okay, you can trust me” She whispered seductively with a wink to the quickly reddening Hakuei, the desired effect lost due to the djinn’s sheer volume that everything was projected loudly for the entire sizable room to hear.

The poor princess turning several shades of red as she backed away from the djinn’s wide smiling expression

“Hakuei-dono!”

_ Seishun! _

What horrible fate had befallen her while the djinn had her distracted? Would she turn her head to see her beloved friend being stripped of his flesh? Boiled alive? The princess's face swung wildly around as she tried to find him. Seishun was… being kissed?

The blue-haired teen had been snagged by a cadre of naked people and was currently being given a series of kisses on any and every inch of exposed flesh the elven figures could find, an army of hands seductively caressing the male’s body through his clothes while they asked, no, begged for him to join them in one of the baths.

Her poor attendant was flustered at the best of times talking to the opposite sex and nearly shut down when he was being flirted with one alone. So when an army of naked strangers of above-average looks was being so forward with him, Hakuei had to be the one to act lest he overheats or pops a blood vessel somewhere.

Hakuei managed to pull him out, much to the disappointed and pouty looks of the men and women who had previously held a grip on the reddening boy clinging tearfully to her robes. A horde of the very naked seducers blocked their exit and gathered around them, beckoning them to join. The duo pulled out their swords in an attempt to keep the masses at bay but finding themselves quickly outnumbered by huge quantities of admirers that grew bolder by the minute.

“Now now now,” The voice of Paamon spoke up, a pair of giant hands grabbing the two and lifting them up and away from the mass of naked bodies, visibly disappointed that their new… “friends” were taken away from them and going back to their previous lewd activities. “While I’m not one to judge how rough one can be in intimate environments, that’s not the point of this trial.” She teased with a cheeky smile, placing a hand on her chest and twirling around to accentuate her point. Her eyes bearing down on them with the silent warning to sheath their weapons. They reluctantly complied.

So with much effort, Hakuei managed to grit out through her frustration. “Then how do we get through?” Feeling her teeth start to grind down as she swallowed a scream. Feeling a crowd of eyes undressing her all over the room as blood pooled in her face.

“I’m so glad you asked!” The djinn happily clapped, bouncing in the air and causing her large unrestrained… assets to bounce. “You see, originally this room was meant to entice the mind and build a paradise of love and desire that you would never want to leave, but then  _ she _ showed up and it kinda went to shit…” Paamon trailed off with a laugh.

“She?” Hakuei asked uneasily.

“The Magi, Aladdin, she came in and well, I think she might be able to give mother a run for her money with how this room has just... filled up, and now the trials kinda… ruined.” Paamon twirled a lock of midnight blue hair as she looked at the room filled with naked flesh with a borderline disappointed trial expression.

“What do you mean,  _ filled up _ ?” Hakuei asked with suspicion. What could one Magi possibly do that a djinn was now concerned with the state of a death trap?

“Well,” Paimon breathed out, “This room was meant to entice an individual with the lovely body of the one they are most attracted to.”

“And?” Hakuei asked not getting the point.

“And these are all the people she finds attractive, and now there’s no room left.” The blue woman awkwardly laughed.

“HAH!” The two yelled in sync not believing what they were hearing.

“Hmm, yeah,” Paamon said absentmindedly, poking her cheek and looking up, “So here’s the new trial! You have to find Magi and convince her to leave!”

The two Kou warriors looked at Paamon in disbelief. The idea of a Magi having hijacked the dungeon for her own perverted purposes filling them with dread. If she was capable of… _ this _ , what else could she do. The situation getting more and more ludicrous as more questions started to form. The mass of bodies looking at them smugly knowing that they would have to descend from their safe corner where the rules of clothing that reigned supreme no longer applied.

An audible gulp could be heard from the two.

“Hakuei!” Seishun whined beside her, shaking the princess’s arm in fear and alarm as they watched transfixed as the elven figures below writhed in ecstasy.

“How will I know the Magi when I see her?” Hakuei's voice sounded far calmer than she felt while Seishun took a step back in shocked horror that his mistress would even entertain such an idea.

“Oh, I think you’ll figure it out! Good luck!” Paamon said before poofing away in a cloud of blue mist that smelled oddly of citrus.

“Seishun,” Hakuei commanded, “stay here, I know you're uncomfortable with all… this.” She laid a comforting hand on the quivering male's shoulder, tears in his eyes while her free hand gestured vaguely in the direction of the mass debauchery. “I’ll be right back after I find the Magi.”   
  


“No, Hakuei-dono! Please, there has to be another way!” Her companion cried from his spot on the floor, hand reaching out to hold her back while she walked forward to the Trial of Flesh. Back straight with a stiff upper lip.

“Pretty lady?!” A baritone voice sang out seductively.

“No thank you.” Hakuei refused, dodging under the arm that attempted to try and pull her into a nearby group.

So far her strategy of politely declining and dodging was working far better than she would have thought, so far. It seemed as long as she stayed a safe distance, the figures would not try to nab her. She only had to refute their advances and she was free to look for the Magi.

Several more seduction attempts were successfully avoided while her eyes roved around the room from group to group looking for the Magi, deeply regretting that she had never quite paid attention to the woman in their few brief interactions. The best she could remember was blue hair and eyes but that was all she knew. The best she could assume was that she was also naked, much like the other people in the room.

_ Something had to be different, think! What stands out? _

Aside from the vast majority of bodies on display being on the larger side, men being fairly tall and muscular and the women being taller and bustier than your average female, they all had one thing in common that stood out. Pointy elven ears. Other than that, there was a high proportion of redheads and she hadn’t yet seen another blue-haired individual aside from Seishun who was a few tints lighter.

Shivering as she remembered Paamon’s words and hoping that her subconscious mind wouldn’t give the room ammunition of one naked and flirtatious Seishun, or god forbid her siblings.

So with that horrible thought in mind, she renewed her efforts. Dodging seduction attempts and keeping her eyes above the waistline, she spotted something darker than the above-average proportion of red. Trellises of long wet blue hair fell down a rock wall and clung to the surface with rivulets of water beading down, the occasional ripple lapped the stone wall.

Reaching a trepidatious handout, she gently tugged on one of the long locks of hair, counting her blessings and praying the individual would be who she hoped and wouldn’t rope her into these less than scrupulous activities. Small ripples of water rolling off the edge and trickling down the smooth rock wall as the body above leisurely turned around, half-lidded sapphire blue eyes falling upon Hakuei’s statuesque form, a glint of recognition passing through them.

“Ah, isn’t this a surprise, the little princess come into the big dark dungeon.” The Magi spoke with a light curious tone, it almost sounded like teasing as she looked Hakuei up and down. “A little young, but, you’ll do, I guess.” The Magi drawled lazily, but Hakuei couldn’t quite hear what she was saying. Her eyes stuck to the woman's perky bust that was resting casually on the stone lip.

The only word Hakuei could think of was- BIG!

A head of plum-colored hair came over the Magi’s shoulder and began to lay doting kisses on her neck, suckling on the pale alabaster flesh while a large hand came out of the bath to fondle one of the Magi’s breasts.

The Magi’s response to the new stimulus was to arch her neck backwards, exposing more flesh for the doting elven eared male to lavish more attention to. An appreciative heady moan rising out of her throat as she all but forgot about her audience while she appreciated the new attention.

Coming back to her senses, Hakuei abruptly averted her gaze, raising one of her sleeves to block the sensual display and hiding her reddening face from the provocative display, not quite believing a Magi could be so… so… flagrant with such shows of affection. But then she remembered she had to check, to make sure this was the Magi and not an illusion.

Gathering her resolve and swallowing her nerves, she peeked over the sleeve and saw rounded tips on the blue-haired woman’s ears. That and another body, much larger than the plum haired male, this one was red-headed like the majority of the room's naked bodies and was lavishing attention between the Magi’s shoulder blades, a tanner hand reaching over the Magi’s shoulder to play with her free breast. The actions only getting lewder as moaning and the sound of flesh being sucked and kissed filled the air, along with the pungent sickeningly sweet odor emanating from the baths.

The tips of Hakeui’s ears going red as she watched a scene she most definitely should not be watching began to unfold.

“Hakuei-dono!”

“Seishu-” The words of relief dying in her throat as she turned to where she heard Seishun’s voice approached from, the boy was wearing a cloth over his eyes to avoid gazing at the sinful scenes before him, somehow making it this far without being kidnapped, and promptly walking into a huddle of bodies doing less than reputable activities. The group wasted no time in nabbing him when he literally walked right into the middle of their fun and he disappeared into the mesh of limbs, screams of panic turned into… something else Hakuei didn’t want to associate with her friend and attendant.

This needed to end.

NOW!

“Magi-sama!” Hakuei enunciated, drawing the woman’s attention from the acts of her paramours while Hakuei kneeled into a bow. “I beg of thee to make me your king vessel and grant me the power of a king vessel!” She spoke as if by rote. Hoping this would work but not knowing how else to get a Magi to choose them as a king vessel.

The Magi leisurely watched Hakuei, resting her head in her hand. The sound of trickling water and flesh slapping against flesh echoing all around them while her companions continued to lavish attention onto her regardless of her reciprocating any back. The act more akin to worship than an active engagement on both parties' part.

“Ok.” She said absentmindedly, standing up from the water and cupping the chins of the fine male specimens behind her, looking towards the plum that had been the most attentive so far. “Unfortunately,” She spoke to them, “I believe our time here is up.” She sounded almost forlorn, her gaze lingering just a little longer on the plum haired male who was gazing at her with puppy dog eyes.

_ Was this a person she knew in real life outside the dungeon? A lover maybe? _   
  


“Alright, let's go.” The Magi said, floating down over the edge and walking away, naked as the day she was born, long hair trailing behind her like a blue bridal train and dragging on the floor with its obscene length.

“Come again?” Hakuei asked dumbly, completely confused and not believing it to be that easy.

The Magi stopped, scratched the side of her head, nodded once, said “Ok” and then continued to walk away.

“That’s it?” Hakuei asked at nearly a screech, not quite believing what was going on and feeling that she would wake up tomorrow only to learn her brother had succeeded in blocking her attempts to support their homeland and this had all been but a very stressful and realistic fever dream.

“Yeah, that’s it.” The Magi said, reaching into a pile of males and pulling out…  _ was that the Kouga chief? _ Then she turned on her heel, walked past Hakuei, and pulled out a naked and completely red Seishun in much the same manner, the poor boy having a full-body blush while trying to cover himself. His eyes met the much taller Magi’s as she held him in the air like a kitten by the scruff of his neck, glancing down once at her bust before facing the floor in shame. The poor teen let out a series of embarrassed sniffles while the Magi gently lowered him to the damp ground before coming back to Hakuei and her previous paramours.

“Would you be a dear please and hand me my things?” She asked the plum haired male, her fingers lightly tracing up his neck and chin. A glazed look coming over the handsome man before he obliged her, reaching into the water and pulling out a shepherd’s crook.

“Thank you.” She said, kissing the man on the nose. And with a crack, she slammed the end into the ground and a large ripple of energy rent the air, dispersing the mist and turning the many bodies into puffs of steam that quickly followed suit, leaving them standing in a warm humid room with the sound of trickling water and Seishun’s choked sobs of embarrassment as their only companion to fill the silence.

“Now,” The Magi spoke, her voice echoing through the expansive room as she turned to Hakuei with a crazed look in her eyes and hundred-watt smile, still one hundred and ten percent naked, “Has anyone seen my clothes?”

* * *

After the cluster fuck of finding not only the Magi’s clothing, and Seishun’s, and Baba’s, and also the other Kouga men who had made their way into the dungeon and ended up trapped at the trial before she arrived, they were on their way. The now group of seven were once more on their journey deeper into the dungeon to find the treasure room.

“So you’re not working with Kou?” Dorji awkwardly asked, still trying to make himself somewhat decent after the snafu he had previously been caught in, balls deep in an elven version of what she believed to be the Kouga elder’s granddaughter.

For everyone’s sanity, they decided not to mention, nor even acknowledge the Trial of Flesh.

“Correct.” The Magi breathed out in an airy sigh, ruffling her hair still damp from the trial that shall not be mentioned.

“And… you’re a Magi?” He quietly asked while Baba shot him a look that said ‘stop it now’.

“Yup.” She said popping the P

“And you’re gonna make one of us,” Altan said pointing between the three Kouga males, “King?”

Aladdin stopped in her tracks before looking over her shoulder to eye them all up and down once before giving a full-body shrug and continuing on her way.

Several indignant cries of protests demanding what that look was for as they all started arguing with the silent Magi who was still walking like she hadn’t just insulted all of them.

“Wait a minute, you promised me the power of kings!” Hakuei protested vehemently over the cries of the rest, on the verge of a meltdown after what she’d been through. The group, including Seishun, gave her a cautionary look while backing up a bit.

Quickly followed by the Kouga’s outraged cries and protests once Hakuei’s words sunk in. All four pouncing on Aladdin and demanding an answer or accusing her once more of being a traitor. The Magi giving the outraged opinions as much attention as one would a fly hovering over a pile of sun-baked shit off the side of a dirt road. Lazily sticking a finger into her and digging around as if it would somehow unclog whatever was causing the auditory annoyance.

But as no one was losing air, and the two from Kou had started to argue with the Kouga, Aladdin decided to put the issue to rest. Turning around to face the group that had stopped several steps behind her to argue with a nonplussed expression.

“Ahem!”

“AHEM!”

“Okay then,” She muttered under her breath while the six kept arguing after not hearing her two attempts to get their attention, “Plan B.” Taking in a deep breath and popping two fingers in her mouth to let out an ear-splitting whistle that had any dogs outside the dungeon cringing in pain.

“I don’t care who becomes king! I’m on a timer to get out of here before  _ someone _ realizes I went into this dungeon after promising I wouldn’t! This plan has gone pear-shaped right off the bat so whoever gets to the treasure room first can have the power, I don’t care. But god as my witness it will be one of you idiots and I don’t care who so that I can leave and get back to what I was doing before. You can kill each other afterwards but until then- be quiet.” She commanded them, finishing her tirade by making them all feel like naughty children fighting over the last cookie instead of the actual power to destroy cities.

“But-” someone stupidly tried to insert themselves.

Aladdin only raised a hand to stop them from continuing. “Do not speak unless you can improve the silence.” And with that final note hanging in the air, she turned on her heel and marched onward, the rest following obediently behind her like freshly hatched ducklings, muttering under their breath while licking their wounds.

The corridor they were walking down opened up to a wider hall, great pillars rising up and that telltale floral scent that seemed to accompany the djinn’s mischief creeping up their nostrils. Plumes of blue smoke snaking across the floor and then rising up in a swirling column before the djinn once more appeared before them with- a costume change? Did djinn do that?

She looked more or less the same. Same giant size, same long hair, and nails, same runny makeup, but the clothes were different. Gone was the black leather corset, though her breasts were still bare but at least one was covered by the white sash she wore draped over one shoulder.

“I am Piimon, and this is my Trial of the Heart’s Desire.”

“Wait, I thought your name was Paamon?” Seishun voiced Hakuei’s thoughts.

“Oh, you’ve met my sister then?” The djinn happily questioned.

_ Sister? _

_ Djinn could have sisters? _

“They are creations of the djinn Paimon, from what I understand they are the ones deciding the trials that we, or more specifically you, will face before we reach the treasure room.” Aladdin explained to them, getting a thumbs up from Piimon that she was indeed correct.

“Mother is so excited to meet you, she can’t wait! Especially you, Magi-sama.” The not-djinn said with a wink. “But let’s get down to business then!” She cheered.

* * *

Dorji saw himself, striding atop his horse, married to Toya, having saved the Kouga and pushed Kou back from their borders, starting a new golden age for the Kouga with the power of the Djinn.

* * *

“How long until they starve to death do you think?” Aladdin asked Piimon, the two watching the possible dungeon capturers trapped within their own psyche through powerful hallucinogens pumping out from beneath the floor, blank blissful expression of joy on their faces while in their heads their greatest dreams and ambitions played out.

“I believe they’ll die of thirst long before hunger, Magi-sama.” Piimon absentmindedly said while running her hands through Aladdin’s silken locks, long white nails gently scraping the scalp in soothing motions.

The Magi’s response was to give a hum before turning back to watch the blank stares of the aspiring dungeon capturers, rhythmically tapping her cheek as an idea came to mind to hurry things along.

* * *

In Seishun’s paradise, he had hit his growth spurt and was taller than his brother and a far better swordsman. Having helped Hakuei to ascend to the throne through the power of Paimon.

* * *

“How long has it been now?”

“About an hour. Why? Don’t think they’re gonna make it?”

“Mmmmmmmmmmm…”

“Ah, Magi-sama!”

* * *

Behind her large oaken desk, Hakuei sighed to herself before getting back to the arduous task of paperwork. It seemed to breed and fester when she blinked, multiplying when she wasn’t paying attention and preventing her from ever leaving her office. But such was the woes of an empress, her daily struggle now that she no longer had to fight in petty conflicts.

Having brought an end to the world’s bloody affairs with the help of the djinn Paimon. Casually resting her hand on the vessel in which the djinn resided, her first metal vessel.

Reminiscing about… what was she doing? Paperwork! That was what she had to do.

Ignoring the doubt and slight fear of having forgotten the troubles that brought her this far in favor of the troubles that lay before her.

The unkillable enemy that was bound in ink and parchment.

“That’s quite the monumental stack.” A casually impressed voice pointed out, surprising the Kou empress who stood up, hand on her sword ready to skewer the intruder. Alert and suspicious grey rising up to challenge detached sapphire blue.

“Aren't you…”

“The Magi who was with you in Paimon.” The languid voice of the Magi drawled as she flicked through one of the endless stacks of paperwork on Hakuei’s desk like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

“Don’t touch that!” Hakuei demanded, snatching the folds back and eyeing the suspicious woman who held her hands up in a nonthreatening manner. “I haven’t seen you since… since-” Why was her mind blanking on this central piece of information?   
  


“Since we entered Paimon.” The Magi supplied.

“Yes, how have you been?” She asked diplomatically, keeping the desk between her and the possible threat, ready to nab one of her metal vessels should the woman present herself as a threat. Flashes of vague disconnected images bubbling up to the forefront of her mind, but the one to stick was the woman in her birthday suit.

Hakuei chose to focus on her paperwork rather than look at the woman who, despite wearing clothing, could only see the blue-haired woman naked.

“Can’t complain, but watching your blank expression is getting old, so if we could hurry this up that would be nice.” The Magi smiled impatiently.

“Blank expression?”

“Yeah, hate to break this to you like this, but we’re all still in Paimon, this is all an illusion. You need to wake up Hakuei-chan.” The Magi gently chided her with a small smile as if she wasn’t spouting nonsense.

“Illusion?” Hakuei snorted incredulously, sitting down in her chair and appraising the insane woman who once again was rifling through her paperwork. “Will you stop that,” She ordered, snatching the paper back, “Why are you here?”

“To help you wake up.” She said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“I am awake.” Hakuei iterated once more, feeling a tick growing on her forehead.

The two entered a stare-off that ended when the Magi casually blinked and looked at yet another stack of papers that had found their way into her thieving hands. Despite winning the stare-off, Hakei felt this conflict was far from over.

“What is this paper about then?” She asked holding one out for Hakuei to take.

“Probably something not needing to be seen by foreign eyes!” Hakuei snapped, taking the papers back.

“Then read them.” The blue-haired woman asked, staring dead-on at the reigning empress.

“Fine,” Hakuei said through her grinding teeth. Glancing at the paper to shut the crazy woman up and seriously debating whether she was an actual Magi with how obtuse she was being. “It’s a report on the Kouga.” She pointed out after gliding over the paper's front.

“Ok,” The Magi languidly spoke, crossing her legs, “Now read the words.”

“Wha-”

“Read the words.” She spoke slowly, looking Hakuei dead in the eye.

Why was she sweating, this was an easy thing to do and it proved nothing. And yet, her eyes could not leave the Magi’s deep blue pools, too afraid to see what the paper said as if the letters would jump out and attack her.

Swallowing the lump of nerves in her throat and trying in vain to ignore the beads of cold sweat rolling down her neck as she dragged her eyes to the paper in her hands. Feeling the blood run cold in her veins as the blank face of the paper stared back at her. Dropping it like it was an angry viper that had tried to bite her and grabbing another paper.

And another.

And another.

All of them were blank. But she had just been reading them. Signing off treaties on trade agreements and resource aides. Rifling through the finished pile and flinging them away as tears started forming in her eyes, gaps in her memory glaring at her like the hot sun in the desert sky. The past few years felt like they never happened at all as her world began to shake and shutter, disintegrating around her as reality collapsed in on itself.

Falling to her knees and gripping the last few blank papers that hadn't disappeared from the once plentiful pile, the only marks on the white sheets were the angry tears stains that had fallen off her face.

But those too soon went the way of the rest, turning to ash and dust before her eyes before fluttering away in the nonexistent wind.

“Why?” She croaked out in the white void as blank as the papers that once surrounded her. Looking into the calm blue eyes of the Magi who had torn everything she had dreamed of away from her.

But it had been just that, a dream, hadn’t it.

“Hakuei-chan, it’s time to wake up.”

  
  
  


H̴̞͆͜ā̶͔̀k̷̢̛̰̙̯̜̙̘̥̮̘͓̤̹̓͗͗̉͘͜ȗ̷͎̬͔̞͚̗̪̹͔͚͙͙̼̂̒͊̏̐̽̍̂̈́͠͝e̶͚̺͗̒́̉͌͛̿̔͌̅͊̅̕͝͝i̷̟̳̲̟͍̟̙̮̺̭̮͇̟̩̐͗-̶̢̥̼͉̳͉̹̎̈̀̈́́̽͊c̸̨̲̝͍̱̟̺̖̺̘͑ḧ̴̡̧̩̰̞̝̤̺̫̱̙̌a̶̡̛̖̞̥̮̝̳̠͇̩͕̘͙̱̚ň̶̨̘͚̟̫̬̝̌͌̋̏̊͆͐́̂,̶̟̗̣̟͎͑͜ ̷̬͔̝̞̤̩̩̪̘͆i̶͚̥̤̘̳̪͉͈̱̠̜̺͙͂͑͋̑ͅẗ̶̝́͑̏̉͒̈́̍̀’̶̧̡̖̦̮͙̙͈̰̻͙̪̪̿͌͋͜͠ͅs̵͖̹͉̲̬̺͔̥̩͒͐͆̽̈́̀̀͌̄̍͠ ̶̨̢̟͔͉͚̥̱͙͖͖̋̽͛̽̋̌͂̀̾̀̈́̈̑̕t̵̛͇̫̫͙̲̩̹̠͚̍̈̇̕͘͜ͅi̵̢̭̞̦͈̬̻̽̕͜ṁ̶̢̢͈̦̬̥̪̓̑͋ě̸̢̢̞͉̟̗͉̰̘͑͊͆͋͠ ̶̛̛̛͙̳͉̗̪̳͇͖̲̏͂̍͂̀̐̋̉͐͘͝ṯ̶̝̋̒͂̀̍̑͑̈́ö̸̧̨͔͙̦̭̱̺́̔̄͂̔̅͂̍̈̏̚ ̸̧͉̫̬͖͚͔̰̮̞͖͖͙͉̰̾͂́̐̃̄͛͝͠w̷͚̠͓͐ͅḁ̸͋̌͆̍̄͌̓̂̾͂͆̆͝ḵ̴̏̈̄͋̓͗͋̓͑̀͆̕͝͠ë̷̲̣͉̭̖̞̻̬͙̠̲͓̃̽͌̀͊͊́͑͛̐ ̶̧͎̝͉̣̪̮̤̞̻͚̖́͛̆̈́̉̄̀̋̽̒͘̚ǘ̵̯͑p̶̧̧̪̹̭̦̦̺̤͈̬̼̿̿̅̋̊̑̌̚

  
  
  


* * *

The memories of the dream swam in her head like clouded mud in a pond, images of what was scrambling around in the fog, becoming incomprehensible. Eyesight blurry as her vision swam in and out of focus, or was that tears caught in her eye. A figure slowly swimming into a view and calling out to her in worry.

“Hakuei!”

_ Niisan, I’m sorry niisan. I went in before I was ready. You were right… _

“Hakuei!”

Something heavy slamming into the small of her gut and knocking the air out of her lungs followed by an electrical current jolting through her system, waking her up immediately. She realized she was on the floor first as she looked up at the ceiling, unable to move her head or breath as she stared at the ceiling.

She finally recognized the figure as Seishun who was standing up and yelling at someone she couldn’t see. She also couldn’t hear jack shit of what they were saying even though Seishun was yelling and flailing about in rage. Something brown moving in the corner of her eye and she could breathe again- kinda- it was like the world finally came back to her, she could breathe and move but it was a struggle to get air into her lungs due to the pain in her abdomen.

Seishun was immediate with his response, helping her into a sitting position where she slowly recovered and asked what happened.

“I don’t know,” Seishun growled out, “Ask the  _ Magi _ over there.” He nodded his head in the bluenette’s direction who was doing her best to look innocent.

A wind coming in from nowhere as the smoke once more coalesced into the annoyed pouty glare of the fake-djinn. “You cheated!” She accused, pointing a finger at the blue eyed culprit who pointed to herself like it was the biggest shock in the world to her. “Yes you, I worked so hard on this trial of the heart and you go around waking everyone up! I thought we had a moment, we bonded, I braided your hair!”

Aladdin looked like she wanted to interject, her finger up in the air ready to make a point. But Hakuei watched as it dropped further and further down, everyone glancing the the shoddily done braid over Aladdin’s shoulder that she quickly hid with her veil, pulling the white fabric over her head and acting as if she not only didn’t have the braid but might as well have been bald.

“While true, it was taking far too long, door please.” She asked, holding out her hand as if for some giant key to help them move forward.

“You can’t just-” The fake tried to reason but was stunned into silence while the grown woman with the power to raise empires merely held out her hands and continued to make grabby motions with her hand like a toddler.

“Are you even-”

Though none of them could see, Aladdin had unleashed her deadliest asset in getting what she wants, the puppy dog eyes. Misty tears gathering in the corners for added effect.

She was about to add whimpering to really seal the deal before Piimon relented.

“Fine, just- go!” Piimon relented with a sigh, waving her hand to form a door out of thin air before disappearing in a puff of smoke, again, the familiar citrusy smell emanating through the air.

“Shall we?” Aladdin asked with a triumphant smile while holding the door open for the other six who followed through dumbfounded to the fact the Magi was seemingly bulldozing the djinn’s trials in the interest of getting out alive.

Once more the group of seven found themselves in a long winding passageway. Smooth cut marble decorated with busts and statues of three-eyed individuals in heroic poses, intricately carved fire, water spouts, and whirlwinds that seemed to move on their own. Many of them stopped to admire the handiwork.

Hakuei hovered her hand above the flames of one, an enraged male with twisted serpents for hair. He had an enraged face that bared fangs at some unseen enemy. His gaze felt far more scorching than the realistic marble fire his torso emerged from. She could feel the heat emanating from it as her palm hovered mere inches from twisting marble.

Distant thoughts that her hand might be burnt if she touched the surface, but like a moth to a flame she kept growing closer and closer to its surface.

A mere hair's width away from brushing the surface when a vice-like grip pulled her hand back. She was aware of Seishun yelling her name, screaming in outrage at the person holding her wrist. The outraged protests coming through to her brain like listening to someone scream underwater.

Pools of burning sapphire holding her in a trance, like looking into the eyes of a cobra rearing up, holding her still, body paralyzed and unable to look away.

“Let’s not touch the statues,” Aladdin said, letting go of her hand and looking up accusingly towards the ceiling. “There’s something in the air I don’t like, we must be getting closer to the Necropolis.” Standing tall as she looked around their surrounding, head slowly sweeping across the hall and making eye contact with the others in warning.

Those sapphire orbs Aladdin called eyes landing once more on her, forcing Hakuei to realize just how small she felt next to her, like an ant looking up to comprehend the vastness of the clouds above her forest home. Insignificant in the grand scheme of the universe. Watching Aladdin swivel her eyes suspiciously, tapping her staff twice on the floor before continuing forward.

No one else dared to speak or complain as they continued to walk for what felt like hours. Everyone going crazy as it felt like they were just repeating the same length of hall, same figures, same poses, same life-like marble details.

“Stop,” Aladdin ordered from the front, her voice echoing off the halls. “Somethings coming, be ready.” Gripping her staff with both hands and spreading her legs into a defensive stance, a small flicker of red flame sprouting in the crook. Everyone else was quick to follow and grab their weapons, even Baba who raised her staff above her head, ready to bop whatever came from the direction Aladdin indicated.

Beads of sweat running down their necks as they waited.

“Nothings-”

“Shoo! There,” Aladdin nodded her head in the direction ahead of them. “It’s getting… dark?” Aladdin said scrunching her eyebrows, lips pursing like she just sucked on a lemon.

Everyone else squinting to see what she was talking about. Hakuei eventually saw that it was indeed darker, like some veil of pure shadow was being draped across the hall and obscuring everything past it.

“Is it- is it getting closer?” Seishun asked with a slight tremble to his voice.

‘Yes, yes it is.” Aladdin affirmed, something like quiet alarm in her voice. “We need to move.” She said, backing up on her feet a few steps before turning. “NOW!” She ordered before breaking into a sprint, snagging the small Kouga elder under her arm as she passed.

The rest standing stock still not knowing what to do before deciding as a group to run like the devil was on their heels. The wall of darkness gave chase, rippling like aggravated water as it swept past the rows of busts and swallowed everything in impenetrable darkness. Quickly catching up and licking on their heels as they continued to flee.

“It’s gaining on us! Aladdin what the hell is it?!” Dorji screamed from somewhere in the middle of the group besides Hakuei.

“I don’t know, but-” Aladdin glanced back at the dark wall breathing down their necks. “HERE!” Throwing off her veil and letting it flutter behind her.

“The hell is that going to- oi oi oi!” Dorji continued to protest, being cut off as the cloth swept the five off their feet and took off down the hall with them as passengers. Aladdin flipping in the air and sitting on her staff, Baba in her lap, before taking off down the hall and catching up to them.

It gave them a brief moment of respite.

“This is amazing!” Seishun screamed as they rocketed down the hall, forgetting all decorum and fear of impending doom as he tried to get Hakuei as excited by shaking her arm while they blasted down the hall, wind whipping in their faces and sending long hair fluttering behind them.

Despite her attendant's best efforts, Hakuei was yet to push the dread gathering in her stomach down. It felt like the weight would tip the fabric and send her tumbling to the ground as the dark shroud grew further and further away. Shadowy whisps snaking out to grasp in vain, foggy tendrils that writhed and pulsed in an effort to entrap them in its inky embrace, held back by the walls seeming lack of movement.

Something was-

“Aladdin!” Hakuei yelled, watching in horror as the wall moved at an unreal pace, quickly closing the gap and moving ten times as fast as they were.

Something collided with Hakuei and knocked her into the person behind her, looking down she came face to face with the confused expression of the Kouga elder. Looking to where the Magi was supposed to be floating in front of them, except-

“Aladdin!”

Moving her neck at a speed that should have sent her head flying, she turned to see Aladdin’s back to them. The woman suspended in mid air by her own power, hands holding her staff parallel with the floor at chest height. The gathering of chittering birds of light that signified a Magi created ribbons of light in the air as they flew to Aladdin, feeding her with power as a bright light emanated from her form. It expanded and grew solid, a semi-clear wall of light that shielded Aladdin in a bubble. It grew brighter and brighter, burning Hakuei’s retinas with its intensity before the now luminous ball of light expanded outward, clashing with the dark wall that had been chasing them.

The group came to a stop, hovering a few feet off the ground on the magic carpet, transfixed by the Magi’s selfless act as the light held the dark at bay, even pushing it back at one point. The sound of primal magics clashing and rending all else from the air as violent winds whipped past them and threatened to strike them from the air.

“Come on Aladdin, you can do it!” Someone screamed behind her, followed by more shouts of encouragement. “Don’t give up!”

Hope bloomed in Hakuei’s heart only to be crushed instantaneously when the miniature sun that was Aladdin was swallowed whole by the veil before they quickly followed suit. All senses cut off as she was swallowed by an inky blackness darker than the night.

* * *

The number of times Aladdin had been so drunk she suffered a hangover could all be counted on one hand. The blessings of having a heightened metabolism and arcane knowledge beyond what most were capable of. So when she did get blackout drunk and wake up in strange places (*cough cough monster stomachs), she was usually accompanied by the mother of all hangovers to end all hangovers.

Vision blurry as hammers pounded on the outside of her skull, eardrums pulsing in agony as loud noises assaulted her auditory perception. The picture slowly came together as she tried to focus on one point in the blurry distance. But even with her vision restored and hearing slowly on its way, she really couldn’t make out what was happening before her.

A twisting road with obstacles of crazy proportion winding its way through the air in loops and arcs in every direction. Axes swinging on a pendulum, irregular gouts of fire-spitting onto the path like angry dragons having a coughing fit, and giant fists punching down and leaving sizable potholes in the cobble. Two figures she could barely make out as Dorji and Hakuei standing behind what looked suspiciously like the starting line to a race made of barbed wire and angry thorns, big blue banners waving proudly in a nonexistent wind like silent heralds of doom.

Frustratingly, Aladdin couldn’t move, her head darting to see what was holding her back and regretting it as her brain bounced around her skull like a rubber ball. Her face scrunching up and desperately wishing she could massage her aching temples. Pushing through the pain, Aladdin found her limbs and torso bound in smooth stone, her hands and feet free to futilely grasp and struggle for freedom with no result.

A quick once over revealed the rest of their intrepid dungeon party in much the same dilemma but with the added bonus of being unconscious.

“Ah!” A familiar voice remarked noting Aladdin’s struggle, the familiar scent of citrus fruits invading her nostrils and confounding the pain of her headache. “I see we have an audience for my trial of strength!” The djinn knock-off appeared, scantily clad like the rest wearing opulent jewelry that barely covered anything. But something about her expression set Aladdin’s nerves on edge, it was almost- predatory with how the djinn looked at her, something malignant in the giant woman’s gaze.

Paamon had been flirty and overjoyed to have someone in her trial, Piimon had been entertained and later miffed when Aladdin interrupted the trial but not hostile towards the Magi’s actions, but this one- this one had something devious and cruel in mind.

“I know you didn’t want to enter the dungeon,  _ Magi _ ,” The last word said mockingly, “But I don’t quite enjoy your meddling in my siblings' trials: first, you hijacked Paamon’s, next you abruptly end Piimon’s. So now, you have to watch your precious king candidates run my gauntlet of death!” Smiling sinisterly at the trapped Magi. With a snap of her manicured fingers, the spiked starting line receded and the two candidates took off running. “The names Paimoon by the way, thought you’d like to know.”

Both of them watched as the two intrepid dungeon capturers reached the first obstacle, a rock wall of some kind with water running down its surface to make it easier to slip.

“You’re probably wondering why I chose those two, hmm? Instead of… them.” Paimoon gestured derisively to the others bound to the same fate as Aladdin, fortunately, or not, still unconscious. “Honestly I thought about putting them all to the rat race, let them tear each other down for a vain dream of power and glory. But then I thought it would be much more fun to see their vengeful reactions- Yes, that’s the one- when their friends and family inevitably failed and died a horrible tragic death.” Smiling like the devil at Aladdin’s enraged expression. “And then being forced to run past their fallen friends!” Laughing maniacally while Aladdin thought of a thousand and one ways to stew and cook the bitch.

_ “Where is my staff.” _ Aladdin thought to herself struggling against the stone restricting her movement with little to show for her efforts except for sore joints and definite bruising from where her wrists and ankles ground against the dense surface.

“Looking for something?” Paimoon coyly asked, knowing exactly what Aladdin was thinking as she picked her teeth with Aladdin’s staff. Rage boiling in the pit of Aladdin’s stomach as she prepared to lash out with what little magoi she could reasonably control. “Ah ah ah!” Paimon wagged her finger before Aladdin’s illuminated rage-filled form, gesturing towards the people bound to close for her not to injure them. “Now how about you be a good Magi and wait for your  _ valiant _ hero to arrive. Oh, wait!” Paimoon mocked, “He can’t.”

The sound of someone screaming stopping Paimoon’s jabs as the two looked to see Dorji on the stretch where gouts of flame would spurt forth violently in an intermittent fashion. Even from this distance, Aladdin could see the ugly angry burns that snaked up the man’s leg like aggressive red creeping vines. Shuddering in pain while keeled over on the floor in danger of another flame striking him.

Aladdin’s eyes darted to Hakuei who was standing on a stretch of the road where she could breathe, caught between one extreme and another. Aladdin’s features twisting in anguish as she saw Hakuei hesitating, hoping desperately that Hakuei would do the right thing and save the downed man who had barely begun to step out of adolescence. Dungeon rules be damned.

Her face dropped as she saw Hakuei step away.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what I'm going to do for the next chapter as I had hoped to wrap this all up and get the heck out of dodge but then I had more ideas. The next chapter will probably delve into younger Hakuei's past and expand on her relationship with older Hakuryuu and then wrap up this dungeon madness.


	6. Her Name is Hakuei

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hakuei's resolve is revealed and Aladdin worries about the safest and quickest way to end everything.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wrote this all in one go last night after a moment of euphoric inspiration and brief editing session so pardon any mistakes on my part.

_ The sword felt foreign in her hands, too clunky and large, a weapon made for a boy at least twice her height. The gleaming metal of the blade glinting in the moonlight. Her older brother's words echoing in her head. _

_ “Remember Hakuryuu, always hold it firm in your hand, a slack grip and you’ll lose the fight before it even begins.” _

_ The image of her eldest Aniiki repositioning Hakuryuu's hands along the training sword, the younger boy looking up with a blindingly bright smile. All too happy to have his older brother as his tutor for the day. _

_ Watching from her hiding spot while the two engaged in a light spar, Hakuyuu correcting Hakuryuu’s stance with gentle swipes of his sword. Giving positive feedback and criticisms when necessary as they repeated katas. _

_ She hadn’t been able to watch the entire lesson before her rectoress, Falan if memory serves correctly, was pulling her aside to continue her lessons in courtly manners. _

_ So she tried to repeat what her elder had been taught today from memory alone in the quiet of the training room, having stolen away when she should be sleeping to train. Picturesque daydreams (despite the late hour) dancing through her head as she rode into battle on her valiant steed beside her brothers while they defended their home and brought peace to the surrounding nations at war. _

_ The leather wrapping on the hilt biting into her flesh and causing her to drop the blade, a rookie mistake. A quiet meep escaping her lips before she suckled on the finger where delicate skin had broken, her four-year-old hands unused to such ‘unladylike activities’ as her mother would put it. _

_ “Hakuei?” The tired voice of Hakuryuu spoke up from the doorway, the ten-year-old rubbing sleep from his eyes while holding a small candle to light his way. “What are you doing up so late?” Completely ignoring the fact that he too was out of bed, letting out a yawn until he realized his precious imouto was hurt. Rushing in past the door to assess the small injury, holding her delicate hands in his while chastising her for being out of bed. _

_ “Why are you even in here? This is no place for a lady, let alone a princess. What would mother say if she found out you were in here?” Disappointed blue eyes looking into her own, the young princess’s eyes tearing up in shame for being caught. _

_ Frustrated snotty tears running down her face as her brother started to lead her to the door, she had always been a crybaby, taking her back to her room where she’d never be allowed to train herself, to better herself, to be more than what destiny had in store for her as the fourth child of the Kou Emperor. _

_ “Come on, let’s get back to bed. I’ll show you how to dress the wound when we get to your quarters, Niisan taught me today after Ren-nii hurt himself in a spar! Isn’t that great, Hakuei… Hakuei?” Her brother stopped when he realized she was balling her eyes out, the one hand not held with his own rubbing in vain to stop the fat tears from falling from the four-year-olds face. The disappointed shades of her family's faces twisting in disgust towards her actions, enraged that she had managed to hurt herself with her carelessness for selfish desires. _

_ “Ah! Don’t cry Hakuei, see, see it’s okay!” Her brother panicked, hopping from foot to foot like hot coals were in his shoes. “Ah, ah, ah, oh! You were practicing with the sword weren’t you?” He asked trying to distract her and stop her crying, vaguely aware that she was crying because she had been caught doing a very unladylike activity. “If- if- if you stop crying I’ll- I’ll-” Spitting out the first idea that came to mind. “I’ll show you some beginner moves!” _

_ A moment of silence, “Promise?” She sniffled out. _

_ “Promise.” Her elder brother held out his pinky finger for her to take. Letting her know it would just be between them. A few more comforting words and assurances that this would be their dirty secret, and she was ready to go. Hakuryuu put the fallen sword Hakuei had taken out and retrieved two wooden ones from the rack. _

_ “Nii-chan!” Hakuei whined at being given a wooden one, chubby baby cheeks puffing out in an indignant pout. _

_ “Sorry, Hakuei, but a real sword isn’t the best thing to start with.” Hakuryuu apologetically scratched his cheek, “I’m actually surprised you pulled it off the rack… Anywho, the first thing you need to do is grip the sword properly…” Her older brother ran his hands over hers to position them correctly. _

_ The two fell into a companionable silence as they practiced in the wee hours of the night. _

_ And if anyone asked why Hakuei was sleeping in Hakuryuu’s room that night, they would just say she had trouble sleeping. _

* * *

Hakuei had never been drunk before, but from what she’d overheard her brothers and everyone else who had partied hard, she gathered the pounding in her skull and the stabbing at the back of her eyes was close enough to the real deal. Holding a hand over her eyes as she sits up with a pained groan. Opening them and then closing them as a bright light assaulted her vision and made the stabbing at the back of her eyes go from a clean knife punching her nerves to an angry rabid rat scratching at the back of her eyes with a rusty nail.

Squinting through her lashes and between her fingers, Hakuei saw jack shit, but when her eyes finally adjusted and she was able to take her hand away from her face without the fear of being blinded, she found herself positioned on the floor at what looked to be the starting race to a long and ludicrous race track that defied the laws of physics.

But considering everything that had happened so far, she’d take it over the other two challenges.

“Where am I?” A groggy voice asked behind her.

Hakuei turned around to discover the Kouga male, Dorji, if she remembered from their irritable interactions earlier. Panicking as she wildly spun around, looking for the rest of their dungeon party.

Running frantically to the edge when she made out their unconscious forms encased in the rock wall far away over a bottomless ravine. Dorji barely managed to hold himself back from the ledge as he too spotted their friends hanging over the death trap.

“OI! BABA, ALTAN, KHAN, ALADDIN, GIRLY BOY!” Despite the over the top volume of the man, none of them moved or indicated that they could hear them, or were even awake.

“Dammnit, we need to save them!”

“How do you intend to do that? Fly across?” Hakuei asked sarcastically with a roll of the eyes.

“I don’t know, you got a better idea, Princess?!” The last word said in sarcastic mockery. Hakuei gritted her teeth as she tried to reign in her less than dignified responses. Something glinting in the distance that gave her an idea.

It was an ornate door, wrought gold and silver weaving over colorful jewels that she could make out glinting in the bright light of the trial even from this distance. All the roads lead there if they didn’t drop into oblivion. She remembered the stories and reports from her siblings and other dungeon conquerors about them, a marker in a dungeon to tell when the candidates were at the end or close to. Beyond it, the necropolis.

“I do, actually,” Hakuei pointed at the shining surface of the door in the far distance, “All we have to do is make it to that door, and we win.” Simple enough really.

Dorji laughed, “Are you kidding me.” He snarled down to her from his imposing height, “What’s to stop the djinn- monster- or whatever the hell it is from killing our friends, our family! Don’t you care about them?!”

“Of course I do!” Hakuei angrily retorted, “but what choice do we have?”

“We could fight!” Dorji reminded her of the most simplistic of tactics.

“And how do you expect us to do that- anything really,” She pointed at the hopelessly large gap between the platform they were standing on and the wall holding their friends captive, a Cheshire grin revealing the pearly white teeth of the djinn floating menacingly by their unconscious cohorts. “Just listen to me and we’ll-”

“Listen? To you?” Dorji bitterly laughed, “You Kou think you’re so great and go on unifying the world, but at what cost huh? You come in, trampling on our beliefs and customs, and you say you’ll make everything better for  _ us _ ?! News flash your royal highness, we wouldn't be in the mess if Kou hadn’t shown up in the first place. Us Kouga have continued to survive on our own and will do so with or without your so-called aid. We would have conquered this dungeon in our own time without having to worry about  _ you _ trying to enslave us!”

Rage boiled in Hakuei’s stomach at the insolence, her features twisting into a barely held back snarl while Dorji continued to berate her and her solid plan. Calling her ‘cold’ and ‘heartless’ cause her friend was trapped up there too and all she could think about was capturing the dungeon for herself.

Well maybe she did, but that didn’t matter right now. They couldn’t get across the gap and they were probably going to die getting to the door anyways but at least she had a solid plan. Or at least a hunch.

The two quickly fell into a screaming match with tempers flaring as their anxieties took over. Every fear and worry that had been piling up since they first entered the dungeon, and many before. Blaming the other for every minor inconvenience that had taken place. Sharpened barbs and cutting insults, most mocking the other's lack of kingly qualities and perceived physical imperfections. Everything was up for grabs and nothing was off-limits, from Dorji’s prominent forehead that could be mistaken for a whitewash barn side to Hakuei’s inexperienced age and pampered lifestyle where the real world didn’t exist. At each other's throats and about to draw their weapons when they saw the djinn floating by their friends and family.

The blue fake smiling at them with a predatory grin while conversing with what they believed to be Aladdin, what with the blue hair and glowing aura of impending doom. They couldn’t hear anything that was said between the two but they did hear the Djinn’s snap, an audible sound that rebounded like thunder off the solid stone walls that entrapped them in the cavernous room. The sharp sound of the spikes retreating signaling their start.

Eyes locked in a battle of wills. Sweat dripping down their faces as they waited for the other to strike when their back was turned. Both choosing the same moment to dash for the start and beginning the rat race.

The first challenge was a rock wall, simple enough, Hakuei had gone through a few obstacles like this while training to take on a regiment. Except nothing like this had been set up. It was outrageously tall, with many of the handholds sharpened obsidian or fakes that crumbled away the moment the lightest weight was put on them. If those false leads weren’t bad enough, water was running down it at a steady trickle that coated any and all surfaces available to climb with a sheen of water that made even the best of holds a reliable death trap. Hakuei’s saving grace in this was that Dorji for all his experience in the field had only ever climbed the sparse tree in his childhood and never had to climb a sheer cliff face in the pouring rain.

It was a stroke of luck that Hakuei cleared the top by a hair's breadth of room, puffing and soaked to the bone with cuts on her hands and feet. Taking every extra inch she could muster to reach the next obstacle, readying her weapon as she approached.

The next trial had them hopping from a hand's width of stone to another, between the gaps lay the impossibly deep chasm that swallowed the light and revealed no bottom. Again, easy enough, except giant insect-like creatures the size of a man, made vicious attempts to knock them from what tiny smidgeon of hope they had from falling into the ravine below. With moth-like wings, they flapped just out of reach for Hakuei to reliably liberate their hissing heads from the shoulders. Mantis limbs striking out from an unfair distance delivering shallow cuts that only really damaged their clothing but stung like a bitch. Hakuei would bet anything they were coated with venom.

Dorji had cleared this one sooner, taking off one of the creature's wings with a decisive swing of his much larger sword before kicking it down into the depths below. It screamed as it fell, a horrible noise stuck between a tortured cat and nails on a chalkboard.

The harried group of two making their way to the next stretch of the road whilst the swarm of creatures bombarded them from above. Swinging blades that moved in tandem with each other to stop their movements. The two adversaries briefly having each other's backs while they struck the creatures from the air, the blades working as much to their favor as it did their disadvantage as the creatures seemed more interested in killing them than avoiding the blades or waiting for the swinging metal to stop.

It was slow going from there, even though all the creatures were dead or dying, the blades gave only a limited window of opportunity to move past them before closing the way. Perhaps more infuriating was that there were some dead ends where their route was cut off and they were forced to dance out of the way as sharpened spears stabbed rhythmically through the air attempting to shish-kabob them.

“Looks like I’ll get there first,  _ Hime _ .” Dorji taunted as his path luckily led him to the exit of the blade maze. Hakuei cursed under her breath as she quickly backtracked to take the same exit.

A few hundred meters behind him when she made it through and bore down on him as fast as her legs would carry her, narrowly dodging the gout of flame that reared up at her from nowhere like a giant snake poised to strike. The moisture evaporated from her clothes with how intense the heat was, gusts of hot air whipping past her as she covered her face to provide some protection from the searing heat.

“What’s the matter, Hime? Afraid to get a little toasty? At this rate, I’ll get to your precious door long before you do!” Dorji mocked ahead of her, dodging past the flames as they sprang up without reason. There was a slight shake to his voice as he worriedly looked for where the fire would spring next.

Memories of her past flooding to the forefront of her mind, threatening to overwhelm her. The acrid smell of burning flesh and wood filling her nostrils while her vision became obscured with red.

It was only thanks to Seishun screaming for her not to lose and to snap out of it that reality came back, the wall of flame receding back into the ground while her brain slowly caught up to the situation. Adrenaline pumping through her veins as she dashed forward, Dorji taking her hesitation and panic as an opportunity to widen the gap.

Hakuei made progress as she jumped through the flames, rolling and dodging with supernatural reflexes. Her heart hammering away like a frightened rabbit despite the outwardly calm and robotic demeanor she put up.

She ran more so on instinct with the screams of her family pushing her onwards while Dorji began to fumble. The princess and the rider soon neck and neck, the fire within Dorji rekindled at seeing his competition having closed the previously massive gap between the two.

The two sprinting in tandem, with Hakuei deftly dodging the flames while Dorji muscled through. The two taking more and more risks in an attempt to one-up the other. The flames becoming fewer and further between as the reached the end of this particular death trap

“GARGH!” Dorji screamed in agony, a sound that was far too familiar for Hakuei, stopping the princess in her tracks as she slowly turned to the source of the pained scream.

The man was kneeled over on the ground, dragging himself forward away from the flames, tears streaming down his face as the agonizing burn throbbed viciously up his leg, massive angry red welts already beginning to form as blood seeped out from behind the charred flesh.

Hakuei knew she should help.

Knew that she can’t- shouldn’t- won’t let history repeat itself and another innocent be killed and maimed for another twisted individual's sick fun.

But what could she do as she felt more and more like the frightened little four year old when Rakushou burned to the ground? When her brothers died because she was too weak to follow directions and run with them. When  _ those people _ took over from the shadows and the chaos and a false king who sat on his cushioned throne pushed for more and more.

  
  


_ “It’s going to be alright Hakuei because your father is a strong man, because he and your brothers will save us.” Hakuei’s mother, Ren Gyokuen, smiled sweetly at the trembling girl in her lap. Both of their robes singed and ruffled from the fire and the kidnappers who had locked them inside a deeper part of the palace. _

_ Hakuei may have been young, but she knew their fate was going to be unpleasant, to say the least if their kidnappers plans succeeded, whatever those may be. So she huddled closer to her mother for comfort while tears freely flowed down her face. Wanting more than anything for her brother to be here instead, Hakuryuu-nii always knew what to say. _

_ The men guarding her and mother were scary. Tall men dressed in billowing black robes, who hid their faces behind white cloths, a crown of thorns around their heads while they carried weapons that spit fire and made the soldiers die. _

_ The room they were in shook as something loud boomed in the distance, shaking dust from the rafters above and making it fall in large clouds above there heads. It was like thunder incarnate crashing against the palace ramparts. The smell of burning wood and something else, something unpleasant, seeping in through the cracks in the stone walls surrounding them. _

_ It smelled like death if Hakuei were forced to give an answer. _

_ The occasional sound of someone screaming before an eerie silence followed made its way through the walls to them on occasion. _

_ Her mother's hand gently carded through her hair as she hummed. _

_ The next moments would always be a blur to Hakuei. One of the thundering noises was closer, right next to them in the room beside theirs. She was out of her mother’s arms, jostled from the empress' grip, lying on the floor while her mother and the scary men stood in front of her waiting for whatever would come through the new hole in the wall. Smoke and fire rose to cover the hole and stop them from seeing through it as it invaded the room and covered the ceiling under a thick cloud of darkness. _

_ The sound of clanking armor and heavy footsteps while fighting and the clash of swords could be heard above the roar of flames. Kou soldiers marching through only to be met by the men in black’s fire from their round spears. Their blackened bodies fell to the floor with a pained cry and refused to move. _

_ Hakuei paralyzed as the scene would forever stay with her. _

_ “Your highness!” Someone shouted, the two men quickly overrun and pushed back while more came to secure the royals. _

_ And then Hakuei was being pulled along, the smoke in her mind clearing as she saw the back of her brother’s head, Hakuryuu, pulling her along behind him as they ran through their burning home. _

_ “Nii-san!” Hakuei choked out through smoke-filled lungs, fresh wells of tears running down her face and intermingled with snot as she realized he came back for her. A thought occurring and made her slow, only for her brother to grip harder. “Wait, nii-san, what about mother!” Casting a glance behind her to see her mother watching them run while soldiers fought with the invaders in the room she had just been in. _

_ A cold look on her mother’s face that she had never seen before along with something else. _

_ Something she would later come to realize was pure unadulterated rage, except it was like a blazing inferno on its own, hotter than any of the fires blazing throughout Rakushou. _

_ The vision cut off when Hakuryuu turned a corner and pulled her into an adjacent room. _

_ “Hakuei,” Her brother put his hands on both her shoulders and looked into her eyes with his own, except something was wrong. What was wrong with Niisan’s eyes? “Are you okay? Hakuei!” He tried to shake her out of her stupor. “Hakuei!” _

_ “Niisan, your eye!” Hakuei cried, looking at her brother's marred and burnt face, the skin black and puffing up making it hard for him to look out of it. Even the color had been disfigured, lighter, paler, ghost-like. _

_ “Oh, this?” Her niisan smiled, his good eye scooting to the left in recognition of the wound. “It’s just a scratch, nothing to worry about!” He brushed it off. _

_ “But Nii-san-” _

_ “Hakuei!” Her brother shouted, shoving her behind him as he drew his sword to meet the raised weapon of his attacker, putting all his ten-year-old strength into parrying the blow. Thinking quickly before his opponent could retaliate and striking and slashing the man’s tendon with a quick thrust. “Let’s go!” He shouted as he once more grabbed Hakuei and pulled her out a side door into a battlefield. _

_ Bodies lay strewn about the halls, her home, unmoving and bleeding with black burns running every which way. Tiny dolls that seemed so out of place, Hakuei was sure she was hallucinating from all the stress. Being pulled along by her brother who parried and reciprocated attacks as best he could while shielding Hakuei with his own body, shallow cuts making their way through his clothing and breaking the skin, dying his royal attire red as he worked feverishly to protect his imouto. _

_ Finding a hall free of fighting before ducking into a room, it was one of the kitchens, unmarred by flame and battle with the only evidence something was wrong being the disarray from when the servants must have fled. _

_ Hakuryuu thinking fast and jimmying a chair under the doorknob, loud banging indicated that he had done so just in time a someone pounded on the door demanding to be let in while setting loose a litany of curse words as he raved and ranted about how he was going to kill them. _

_ Hakuei’s world going dark, making her breathing hitch as she struggled for her brother. Not understanding what was going on when she heard the door smash down, followed by more angry screaming. _

_ Hands flat against the surprisingly cool wood as she peeked out through a crack. Hakuryuu must have hidden her in a pantry as one final effort to keep her safe while he faced off against the man at least ten times his size. _

_ His sword that dripped blood looked like a toothpick in comparison to the massive club the behemoth wielded. Holding her hands to her mouth in horror as she watched her older brother valiantly fight the giant, weaving between his legs and slashing at whatever he could reach while the man swung his club wildly in retaliation. The cuts did nothing except enrage the man further who landed a successive blow, sending Hakuryuu flying through the air and crashing into a wall. Blood flying from his mouth as the air evacuated his lungs. _

_ The man stalking forward to deliver the final blow before Hakuei ran out, tiny fists banging against the man's brawny leg as she demanded with all her four-year-old might that he leave Hakuryuu alone. _

_ Vision once more was cut off and a pressure surrounding her skull as the man’s massive hand engulfed her small head, lifting her off the ground as he dragged her from the room. _

_ The wet coughs of Hakuryuu making it to her frightened ears as he hacked out her name. _

_ More tears ran down her face as she became scared for her brother, scared about what would happen to her, where was her father, her other brothers, Hakuyuu and Hakuren? Where was mother? Was she safe? _

_ Delicate nails digging into calloused skin as she scratched at the man's hand and arms, screaming for him to let her go and to stop hurting her family. The air being knocked out of her lungs as the man rammed her against the wall, a tight grip blocking any air from entering her throat as he leered down at her. _

_ His other hand running down her face as he looked into her terrified eyes with his animalistic ones. The hand going further down and pawing at her clothing while she trembled under his lecherous gaze. _

_ “No one will care.” _

_ Those words would haunt her nightmares for years to come. _

_ Horrid what if’s if her brother hadn’t come to save the day once more moments later. _

_ Blood spurting out the man's mouth and onto Hakuei's terrified face. The tip of a sword glared mere inches from Hakuei’s face as it jutted out from the man's throat. _

_ “Let go of my sister.” _

_ Hakuryuu’s voice had never been so cold. The man slumping to the floor after grasping his throat, collapsing onto Hakueis’ form and suffocating her with his dead weight. _

_ She screamed and cried for him to get off her while Hakuryuu worked tirelessly through the smoke and heat, while blood ran down his forehead and into his good eye, while his clothes became redder and redder from his own blood, pulling on the goliath to free his sister so they could run and find shelter once more. _

_ Eventually, he gave up. _

_ “Hakuei!” He called to her through the hysteria, wiping the blood from his face with his already red soaked sleeve, “Hakuei, I need you to be brave okay.” He stated calmly, holding her hands. “I’m gonna be right back okay, I just need you to-” _

_ “No no no no no no, Hakuryuu, save me, please! Please, please, please! I’ll be good I promise! Please don’t leave!” She begged through snot mixed tears, holding desperately onto Hakuryuu’s arm like a lifeline. _

_ Her brother shook his head while continuing to look at her panicked and frightened eyes with his own calm ones. Why was he so calm? Where were their brothers, their father? What about mother? _

_ She didn’t hear his explanation, too busy begging him to stay with her, promising that she’ll be good and listen. _

_ But eventually, he left her in the smoldering ruins, running off down the corridor. _

_ She screamed, begged, and cried for someone, anyone to come save her. Bellowing her brother’s name until her throat was hoarse from the smoke and use. _

_ The sound of footsteps thundering her way as the fighting got closer. _

_ Something making its way into her blurry tear-filled vision and making her panic. Throwing her arms wildly through the air to keep the figure at bay while she struggled to get free. Screaming for her brother. _

_ The weight slowly lifted off her before she shot forward at the figure in front of her, knocking them to the ground as angry little fists pounded wildly at their face until something caught them in a strong but gentle hold, forcing her to look at her opponent. _

_ Coming face to face with her brother’s smiling and freshly bruised face as he looked up at her while she straddled him. Tears dribbled down his cheeks, but not his own, while he continued to look up Hakuei’s crying features with that happy calm expression that said everything would be alright. _

_ “It’s okay, Hakuei, I’m here.” He smiled calmly at her once more, carefully moving her off him before standing up, gently pulling her up with him. _

_ Hakuei grabbed him for a tight hug, pulling herself in close as she muffled her cries into her brother's wet and charred shirt. Her wails were muffled by the fabric as Hakuryuu gently rubbed circles into her back. Soothing words making it to her ears through the crackling fire and mournful cries of the recently departed _

_ The footsteps getting closer, forcing Hakuryuu to extricate himself from Hakuei’s grasp, picking up his discarded weapon and taking a defensive stance in front of her. Waiting to see if the people coming around the corner were friend or foe. _

_ The robed figures of the scary men bursting around the corner, these ones armed with fat curved swords as they quickly rushed the young nobles. _

_ “Hakuei, run, now!” Hakuryuu commanded, shoving her away as he dashed forward to clash with the much older, stronger, experienced men. But where they had size and age on him, Hakuryuu had a wild drive and an animalistic need to survive and protect his imouto as he slashed at anything within reach, screaming for Hakuei to run while he held the men off. _

_ But the young princess was paralyzed, stuck staring at the scene unfolding before her begging her brother ‘why’. Taking the small occasional step back. _

_ One step back _

* * *

One step back

* * *

_ One step back _

* * *

One step back

* * *

_ “Hakuei!” And she found herself shoved backwards by her brother, a falling timber beam burying him under a pile of smoldering wood. _

_ “Niisan!” Hakuei shouted, falling to her knees as she grabbed the one hand not buried by the burning wood and soot. The men behind Hakuryuu quickly recovered from having their target abandon the fight so quickly and approached with weapons drawn, faces hidden behind those ominous white cloths. _

_ “I’m sorry, Hakeui, it seems I’m a lousy brother after all.” Her brother spoke, spitting up blood as his breathing became ragged and irregular. _

_ “Niisan...” _

_ “I’m sorry, Hakuei, it looks like I wasn’t strong enough for Hakuyuu-ni… I’m sorry, but that the burden of saving Kou… falls to you- if nothing else, live. Live for me, for father, for Hakuyuu-ni and Ren-ni. And never- give-" Her brother fell unconscious before finishing. _

_ Leaving Hakuei to watch helplessly as the men approached, raising their weapons to finish what they started. _

_ If only Hakuei had listened to Niisan and ran, if only she hadn’t frozen like the weak child she was, then maybe- maybe Hakuryuu would be alright. Maybe they wouldn’t die because even now she was too weak to run. Fat tears falling down her face in what must have been a never-ending stream as the world moved in slow motion. The blades slowly descended down onto her and Hakuryuu’s position as she covered her niisan, refusing to move. Wanting to defend him like he did her in some twisted way. Ignoring her brother’s final pleas for her to run away and live for them. _

_ “Hime-sama, are you alright?” An aged and ragged voice asked her. The princess looked up through tear-stained eyes into the concerned one-eyed gaze of Seiryuu Ri, behind him Kokuhyou Shuu stamped on something fragile, the sound of breaking pottery echoing through the night. “Hime-sama-” _

_ “Niisan! Please save niisan!” Hakuei screamed hysterically. _

_ Her father's general not understanding what was going on until he caught the blood-soaked form of prince Hakuryuu underneath the wooden beam. His one good eye widening in surprised understanding. _

_ The two generals working in tandem to lift the still smoldering wood off the unconscious Hakuryuu. The young prince cradled gently in the arms of Seiryuu while Kohuyou Shuu lifted Hakuei. The two generals ran through the palace as they sought refuge to care for and protect the last of Emperor Hakutoku Ren’s line. _

_ Hakuei being able to do little more than silently cry in the arms of her savior while she watched her brother’s pained breaths. _

_ “Never again.” _

* * *

“Never again,” Hakeui whispered to herself at the memory.

Never again would she stand by and let someone suffer because she was too weak to act. Stopping in her tracks and looking up to the demon that had constructed this cruel torment.

“Never again.”

Looking over her shoulder to the still quivering form of Dorji who no longer had the resolve to crawl forward as the pain was too intense, still within the line of fire of the devil's trap.

“Never again!” She heard someone scream, vaguely aware that the voice was her own.

Running back into the literal fire to save the fallen man who had previously been her adversary in conquering the dungeon. But that didn’t matter now. Now she was getting their comrades back and then they were leaving this dungeon. Power be damned.

“What are you-” Dorji grit out through pained breaths, at first worried the damned Kou royal was here to finish him off before she hefted him up, one arm over her shoulder as she hustled them past the flames. All the while repeating the mantra ‘never again’ under her breath robotically.

The two miraculously made it to the safe stretch of road before collapsing, Hakuei out of stress and Dorji out of exhaustion from his wound.

“Why did you-” Dorji was stuck for words to express his confusion.

“Because a long time ago, I was helpless to do much more than stare as people suffered needlessly around me. I watched as my brother gave everything to save me while I did nothing. So I promised myself, my father and my fallen brothers, and I promised him, never again.” Hakuei managed to bite out through tears and sobs, finding it hard to breathe despite the current lack of immediate danger.

“Thank you,” Dorji smiled gratefully at her, previously unaware of this side of the spoiled noble girl he had been fighting with.

“Wrong wrong wrong wrong!” The angry voice of the djinn boomed as it sprang into existence in a furious whirlwind. Her hair and jewelry flying wildly about in the maelstrom she was brewing, her face the picture of pure fury at her game and expectations being ruined.

“You were supposed to tear each other apart- you fail!” She spoke with a calm that belied her enraged expression before bearing down on them in a one-sided game of cat and mouse.

* * *

“We have to do something!” Someone yelled, Aladdin couldn’t care who at this point as she furiously brainstormed ways of getting out of this clusterfuck.

Without their staves, magicians were practically useless with only a single defensive spell in their limited arsenal, even Magi were not above this fundamental rule.

The best she had was her borg, but that would only cut them from the rock at best and send them tumbling down into infinity until they smashed on the bottom of nowhere.

“Aladdin,” Baba managed to break the Magi out of her furious thoughts on exit strategies and whether she was allowed to strangle Paimon, the actual Paimon. “How can we help them?”

It physically hurt Aladdin as she looked away from Baba in shame, unable to bear witness to the hurt and wounded look Baba was giving her while Paimoon continued to attack the barely hanging on duo. Thankfully the bitch was only using physical attacks, laughing maniacally as she tried to crush the two humans under her literal thumb.

“Aladdin please!” Baba begged the younger woman.

Everyone else either silently watching the two women interact or screaming for their friends below to look out every other exaggerated swipe the monster made.

“I can expand my borg, cutting through the rock and setting us free.” Aladdin finally elaborated on the excitement of her fellow captives.

“Great than cut us-”

“But if I do so,” she cut the person off, “we’ll tumble into oblivion for who knows how long.” She said downcast.

“Can’t you do something else, like blast us free and fly us all over there to beat that thing up?” The Kou attendant asked.

“No,” Aladdin said in shame, “Without my staff, at best I can send us to our deaths by falling, at worst… I can fry the rest of you and free myself.” She finished lamely.

No one else spoke up as the only options were to die or watch their friends die before they fell to the same fate.

“Wait, look!” Someone shouted, everyone looking to Kouga male, Altan Aladdin thinks.

“Look where?” Seishun asked, only Altan’s head was free and the poor boy was upside down so no one had any indication of what he was pointing to.

“The wall, it’s slanting out!” He furiously nodded below them. Everyone looking down to see he was indeed correct, the wall shifting into a gentle slope that angled them just right to roll down in Aladdin’s borg and slam into where Paimoon was currently trying to kill the injured duo below.

“Aladdin, can you cut us out and then we roll down onto the path?” She thinks that was Khan but she couldn’t see the man from her position, he was somewhere above her though.

“I can...” Aladdin said after a moment of trepidation, too many variables still around for her to be comfortable with the idea and the new situation feeling entirely too coincidental for her liking.

“So what’s the holdup?” That time it was Baba, the elderly woman was understandably irate at this point.

“Even if we land perfectly, there's no chance that we all won’t be crushed, injured, or maimed by the huge amount of rock and stone crashing down on us after I cut us free from the wall.”

“...”

“Do it!”

“Baba!” Everyone spoke at the same time, the elderly woman surprising everyone who knew she was the most at risk should things go sideways. Everyone except Aladdin who stared deeply into Baba’s eyes, seeing the elders resolve before steeling her own.

“Brace yourselves,” Aladdin warned, breathing deeply as she extended her senses to ensure she didn’t cut anyone's limbs off while she expanded the volume of her borg to the optimal size. Shouts of worry and protest erupted all around her while she focused, the only one as silent as her being Baba who was ready for the possible consequences of their hail Mary escape attempt.

“Hah!” Aladdin screamed, eyes focused as she felt the commands snap, the rock shift ever so slightly as it was cut cleanly from the wall. “Hold on!” Aladdin yelled, everyone watching through the slightly transparent yellow wall of her borg as they slowly rolled down. Bumping and being scrambled around in their stone prison while Aladdin tried to hold on as long as she could until the optimal moment.

“Woohoo!” Baba cheered, having the time of her life as they all rolled precariously down the slanted slope.

Seishun, Altan, and Khan oscillating between horror and trying to hold in their meager dinner from the night before.

“HERE WE GO!”

* * *

“Any last words?” Paimoon asked, having cornered the two along the ledge, Dorji holding his weapon shakily while Hakuei supported him.

“Look out below!”

Was that… was that Aladdin?

“What!” Paimoon bellowed in bewilderment, turning around to come face to face with the surface of a massive boulder. The djinn fake crushed under the massive boulder that was reduced to rubble and shook the ground, thankfully the path suspended above the bottomless pit didn’t break and send them all tumbling into nothingness.

“Baba!”

“Seishun!”

The two dropping their weapons as they struggled to remove the rubble, chucking boulders away in an effort to free their friends.

“Khan!”

“Magi-sama!”

“Altan!”

“Enough!” The enraged form of the djinn rose up behind them, features twisted and morphing in an enraged maelstrom of swirling mist. “Sucks to suck, but it looks like your idiot friends just died for nothing!” The djinn mocked, “Now how about- YOU JOIN THEM!” The monster screamed, talons barred as she bore down on their defenseless position.

Her descent to kill them abruptly ended when a boulder rocketed through her head, rendering it to mist as she reared back a safe distance. “What!”

The two looked up to the top of the rubble to see a slender and tattered hand holding the shepherd's crook high in the air. The rubble clearing as it lifted into the air and revealed everyone relatively unharmed.

“My turn.” The deathly calm form of Aladdin spoke, glowing as trails of light flew to meet her form. With a deceptively simple tilt of her staff, the rocks flew at blinding speed into the djinn, smashing her form and preventing her from attacking as she was forced to maintain her mist form lest she be killed.

“Go.” Aladdin commanded, all her focus on the djinn with a determined look on her face.

“But-” Hakuei spoke up, not wanting to leave anyone behind to face this demon.

“NOW!” Aladdin bellowed at the top of her lungs, levying her staff in the direction of the djinn and releasing a volley of lightning in its direction. Everyone shielded their eyes from the brilliant light show as the air shook from the force of the energy released.

“Let’s go,” Dorji spoke after the group watched Aladdin release spell after spell at the djinn monster with vicious glee, shaking her shoulder to break Hakuei out of her stupor.

“But-” Hakuei tried again.

“Hime-sama,” The aged voice of Chagam Shaman pleaded with her, the elderly woman gingerly tugging on the Kou princesses robes, “While Aladdin is far more powerful than that monster, it is crafty. We must go while it is distracted.”

“It’s like you said,” Dorji gently punched her shoulder, “We get to the end and this all goes away.” He gestured to the dungeon madness all around them. Without the djinn’s attention, the traps fell by the wayside and stopped, leaving a clear path to the ornate door.

“What the hell do you think you’re doing!” Aladdin’s outraged voice screamed at them. The woman let loose a brilliant explosion of fire that had the monster screaming in panic, the creature somehow possessing the ability to feel some indignation at almost being barbecued. “GO!”

“Hai!” Hakuei answered as strongly as she could, feeling her determination waiver as she turned to leave the Magi to her duel.

The group moved full speed to the goal, running as fast as they could to make sure Aladdin wouldn’t be engaged in a fight for too long. Even if there was little risk of her actually losing, seeing as she had the cretin fleeing for its life.

The group of five made it to the stairs leading up to the door in no time when Hakuei realized they were missing one. The princess stopped at the first step to look back, finding the crumpled form of Chagam Shaman lying vulnerable in the road.

She wasted no time in doubling back, hefting the slight form of the elder onto her back before moving double-time up the stairs. Repeating over and over again the mantra of “never again” in her head as she climbed.

“What happened?” Dorji asked, with concern as Hakuei gently placed Baba down to rest, the elderly woman struggled to breathe but waved for them to continue. “Baba!” Dorji continued, kneeling down and placing his hands on Baba’s shoulders.

“I’m fine, hurry, please,” Baba begged them, gesturing her head towards Aladdin’s direction who was furiously fighting against the now monstrous form of Paimoon, the demon having sprouted two more faces and four more arms, lobbing blades of wind at Aladdin who deftly flew about the monsters form. Golden chains erupting from the air to entangle the monster before Aladdin set the thing on fire once more with vindictive joy.

But no matter how long or how hot the fire burned, the monster continued to scream in rage.

The group turned their attention to the heavy metal door and began to push, the metal slowly budging as it inched opened at a snail’s pace. Shooting Baba and Aladdin worried glances every now and then.

“Almost. There.” Hakuei grunted while the metal groaned.

“DIE!” The monstrous scream of the fake djinn roared above their heads, having escaped Aladdin’s chains and become a solid mass of steaming rage to kill the likely king vessels. Meeting a sordid end when a massive spear of ice pierced her abdomen before blooming out and shredding the monster to nothingness.

The smiling form of Aladdin coming down to land at the starting line platform waving at them in joy.

The group fell on their asses as the world rippled around them, leaving them all in a vast chamber with treasure and jewels glinting all around them.

“Hello, everyone, I am the djinn of maniacal love and chaos, Paimon!”

* * *

In the end, the djinn chose Hakuei, believing the princess to have succeeded in most of the trials set out by her 'daughters' by one extra point, the one she got when she found Aladdin in the trial that shall not be mentioned. Everything else had been the Magi’s doing, from breaking the illusion to giving them time to complete the obstacle race of doom.

So now the group was descending towards the world below loaded with their dungeon haul.

Despite what should have been a momentous achievement.

The elder Chagam Shaman was on death’s door, the daring escape having damaged her frail body beyond even the miraculous healing powers of the Magi.

The group kneeled around the slowly dying elder in mournful silence.

“I’m not dead yet!” Baba bit out, letting out a wet cough as she laughed alone in the silence

“But Baba-” Dorji tried to argue, the elderly woman had refused any treatment that might extend what meager time on Earth she could steal, knowing full well that it would only be a bandaid to a much larger problem.

“But nothing.” She wheezed out. “I’ve been on this earth for eighty years. I’ve watched my father’s generation go, I’ve raised a generation of my own and watched them go off and raise their own. I have been the leader of the Kouga for sixty years. And my time-" She calmly spoke. "Has come.”

Tears falling from everyone’s eyes. Everyone except Aladdin who could only watch on forlornly, watching as the elderly woman’s rukh slowly left her body in a shimmering trail that slowly dimmed.

“Hakuei-dono,” Baba asked.

“Hai,” The Kou princess responded.

“The djinn has given its power to you, and I ask of you, to use that power to help my people from here on out, please.” The dying elder pleaded in her final moments.

“I will do my best!” Hakuei choked out through her tears. Something about bonding over shared near-death experiences made it feel like a lifetime had been shared between the seven.

“Hmm,” the eldest woman hummed before turning her attention to Aladdin, “Aladdin, come closer, please.”

The woman conceding to the request as she silently approached, kneeling down to take Baba’s hands with her own.

“Yes, Baba?” Aladdin asked.

“Tell me about the world, the one in my books and scroll, the one travelers like you have seen.”

Tears now freely falling down the Magi’s face as she smiled a gentle smile while she started her tale from the beginning.

“In a land far from the home you know, a land baked under a hot sun and whose soil was soaked in the blood of war, one foolish girl found herself trapped in a barrel…”

* * *

“Why is it that every time I look away I find you in the midst of a power struggle?” The annoyed voice of Yunnan whined.

The group of  ~~ seven ~~ six were not the only ones that had entered the dungeon. The entire regiment that had accompanied Hakuei to the plateau having gone in under the orders of a treacherous general, losing over half their men in the madness yet somehow making it out in time, probably having snuck into the treasure room sometime after their group's departure from the dungeon.

Surprisingly, Aladdin didn’t have to intervene when the general demanded Hakuei’s metal vessel as the second imperial prince, Ren Koumei, arrived to overhear the treacherous declarations of the ambitious general.

Most frighteningly of all, things somehow went smoothly after that with Aladdin hightailing it out of there as the Kou soldiers became intimately aware that Aladdin was a Magi the moment Hakeui opened her mouth. Vanishing into thin air the moment after Hakuei had outed her to her brother.

She had made it halfway to the border that separated the plateau from the great desert when Yunnan appeared with a sickeningly sweet smile on his face, smacking his staff agitatedly against his hand in a very threatening manner.

Aladdin had no response to his accusations attempted murder via stress so the two Magi simply flew towards Quishan at a sedate pace, moving much like the clouds gently passing overhead.

Yunnan took a deep breath before exhaling deeply through his nose. “So, what are you going to do now?” He asked, knowing he was going to regret the answer he got.

“Find Alibaba.” His blue-haired companion said simply with a shrug of her shoulder.

“And then?”

“Morgiana?” Aladdin said with a raised brow like she thought Yunnan was dumb, not quite understanding Yunnan’s eternal frustration.

If the centuries-old Magi screamed above the desert in pure frustration, then no one else was there to witness save his bemused companion.

* * *

Omake:

“Hakuryuu-sama!” A servant shakily alerted the fearsome general and prince to an urgent message, holding the missive out for him to take.

The third imperial prince wasn’t expecting much, boredly taking the scroll and unfurling the paper while dismissing the messenger with a wave.

His mood instantly brightened when he saw that it was from his precious imouto, letting him know that all was well and her mission was successful. Then his mood progressively soured as he got to the meat of the message. Managing to snap the wood the paper was attached to before marching off to the training grounds. Looking oh so forward to the death of the traitorous Ryosai, thinking of all the ways he could get away with a premature execution at his hands.

Finding himself in front of a training dummy and letting loose his frustration, reducing the straw figure to kindling before stalking off.

Angrily grumbling under his breath about how he was going to kill a certain hair for brains Magi. Unaware that his target had witnessed the carnage against the poor inanimate object and was making the wise move to retreat. Not entirely too confident that the insanely protective older brother who killed organization members as a hobby wouldn’t find a way past his borg to throttle him.

Completely innocent for once as he hadn’t left the palace for the last week.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> On the plus side, if I try I might have the next chapter out soon as when I couldn't focus on this one I was writing miscellaneous scenes for the next chapter. Should just be some fluffy scenes between Morgiana and Aladdin to explore the different relationships a bit more.
> 
> Stay safe and practice social distancing!
> 
> See y'all soon!


	7. Worse Than Beasts, Worse than Bandits, Worse Than Slavers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aladdin and Morgiana meet at the bandit stronghold, but not all is as it seems. Something dark and twisted prowls in the darkness just beyond the horizon, something that has even a Magi worried.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Putting a warning her to blood and viscera mentioned.
> 
> You have been warned.

“Where is it! Where is it!” Fatima tore through his vanity looking for his ointment and makeup. Frantically, the slaver worked to preserve his beautiful visage. Scratching at the bane of his existence, a purplish rash with pustulous boils that bled and oozed whenever he poked or prodded them, let alone scratched them. The pain had been growing as of late, a sensation akin to being skinned alive, but the slaver didn’t care. His daily routine now spent working to maintain his beauty and satisfy his growing cravings.

“Fatima-sama?” One of the bandits or his own men, he couldn’t care less, useless good for nothing wretch that was getting in his way at the moment. The poor sod flinched as Fatima aggressively tore one of the drawers from its resting place in a blind rage when it didn’t have what he wanted.

“What?!” He screamed in outrage to the shivering man, one of the fat pig’s he shacked up with in this miserable fortress, so far from the caves he and his men had previously used. Just the thought of his caves sent him into a deep sense of longing. Cool dark pools of water that did wonders for his fragile skin, hidden under miles of rock from the cursed sun. With plenty of side passages that were perfect for hiding and setting up an ambush for “free” slaves making an escape, away from the judging eyes of his men as he indulged in the sinful flesh. Oh how he  _ wanted, missed, longed for, _ his caves.

Puss and blood mixing under his nails and sticking there like glue as he scratched at the rash under his collar, not noticing as he revealed more and more disfigured skin as he attempted to soothe the itch.

“Well- well-” The man stuttered, not used to the feral and animalistic snarl that graced the usually feminine and composed man’s features, almost stumbling over his own two feet as he backed away from the man, practically growling, on the other side of the room.

The already high levels of fear skyrocketing as an unnatural calm took over the whitehaired man’s features, like a curtain had been quickly pulled to hide the unhinged expression previously on display. Bloody nails slicking back sweaty white locks, tearing a few strands out and leaving nasty dark purple blood with a mud-like consistency to flow and clot in the still present hairs as the depraved slaver grinned. Flicking his hand to get rid of the evidence before ignoring it all together when that failed to get rid of it, a sickeningly sweet thin slitted smile that was Fatima’s poor attempt to put up a beautiful front, a fragile mask of control.

“Actually, I’m so happy you showed up, I haven’t been able to find my makeup and ointments.” The man started in a saccharine tone, running a hand over his vocal cords as they felt raw. Must have been the desert air disagreeing with him. “Can you bring me one of the merchandise to come up and-” He fingered the knife he kept on his person with one hand, “Soothe my needs? Unless... you want to help me” A wide smile that split his face as his bloodshot eyes opened wide, an expression that screamed for any and all to run and run fast as the whites of his eyes vanished under a sea of darkening red.

The man couldn’t run fast enough, giving the briefest nod to show he understood, leaving the depraved man alone to stew in his misery and shutting the door with a slam.

Once alone, Fatima collapsed onto his desk, hands trembling as he gripped the surface and turned white as he splintered and cracked the wood with a strength the man didn't know he possessed.

_ I can’t help it. _ He thought to himself, once more beginning with his daily struggle.  _ I see such beautiful flesh, such pretty faces and bodies and I can’t help myself. _ Looking at his deteriorating reflection in the knife he was absentmindedly fingering. Hair now falling away on their own accord in clumps, viscous blackened blood pooling in the open wounds like mud.  _ There’s nothing wrong with me!  _ He screamed in his head, throwing the knife away as tears of angry frustration fell down his face, pools of saliva flowing out his panting mouth and dribbling onto his luxurious robes.  _ I can’t help it… _ He reasoned to himself, flailing as he tried to get a grip and once more resist his  _ natural _ urges.

_ “Everyone is like this, they want all the beauty to themselves, they hoard it!”  _ He screamed, scratching at his neck with long nails that left cuts as the words refused to come out.  _ Nothing is wrong with me! _

The once beautiful man stumbled to his vanity, dripping pools of blackish-purple blood onto the floor, skin peeling off and bones cracking before healing, longer, stronger. Coming to a stop to see his reflection.

_ “My beautiful self”  _ He warbled out through an inhuman snout. Resting a hand onto its reflective surface and leaving a trail of blood to match the bloody print. His much larger head cocking to the side as he noticed something funny.

He only had four long bony fingers, a bloody gash running up his arm from where his pinky had been and torn a long tear through his silken sleeves.

_ “How strange.” _

* * *

Morgiana leaped from boulder to boulder, traversing the rocky terrain with ease as she made her way towards the bandit hideout. An uneasy feeling sitting in the pit of her gut like a lead weight, not unlike when she was in the dungeon fighting monsters and, much to her shame, Alibaba-sama and Aladdin-sama but this feeling was… so much worse.

In some twisted sense, she had never been alone. She always had other fellow slaves, Goltas, and, ironically enough, Lord Jamil to rely on for something or another. Yes, it was hard, but she always had someone at her back, even if that person was just as likely, if not more, to stab her  _ in  _ the back.

But now she was on her own, having broken from the caravan to deal with the bandits holed up in the desert fortress on the dark horizon, yet there was something more.

Like thunderclouds over the distance, an ominous omen that there was something more to this fight that lay ahead of her.

Leaping the last twenty meters and running up the wall with practiced ease, she hopped up the ramparts and cleared the outer walls quicker than the eye could blink. The first thing that met her was the silence, an unnatural quiet without the laughing of drunken men after a long night, the snores of men and captives while they slept, even the sound of desert animals were absent. It was just… quiet.

The second was the smell. The smell of burning wood, which was to be expected from a camp, but the mass smell of blood nearly made Morgiana retch with how heavy the iron scent clawed through the air and into her lungs. Her knees trembled as she wiped the bile from her mouth, looking into the eerie pit of silence before jumping down.

Her eyes adjusted to the dark but it hung over the air like a thick curtain, all she could see was vague shadows of structures that looked like they had seen better days even in the gloom.

The smell was stronger, coming from all sides and Morgiana instantly regretted her first step when she felt, and more importantly, heard, something squelch beneath her feet.

She had done some nasty things in her time as Lord Jamil’s slave, wrestled beasts for the lord's pleasure, roughed around in pigsties while he laughed, killed men in the most brutal ways, but nothing came close to the general wrongness of this situation.

Swallowing the lump in her throat, along with what little left she had in her stomach, Morgiana pushed on. The general feeling of unease and paranoia not leaving in the slightest and only managed to grow more as the darkness swallowed up the very sound of her footsteps, squelching and all.

As her vision in the darkness hadn’t improved, even as the sun was about an hour's rise away, Morgiana opted to walk in a straight line so as to not get lost. Almost walking into a wall covered in a smelly sticky-flakey substance Morgiana didn’t want to put a name to, it was a surprise she didn’t smell it before her nose almost hit it.

Running her hand as lightly against the vaguely smooth, hopefully, stone surface as she looked for clues, assuming the stuff plastered to the walls, the floor, probably any and all ceilings, were the leftovers of the hopefully dead bandits. Which only left the question of why and how? What came through here that was powerful and fast enough to slaughter and likely eat an entire bandit camp. And more so leave a general miasma that heavily reeked of death in the air.

After what felt like an eternity, Morgiana found a passageway, her fingers hovering gingerly about the empty air to the entrance. Swallowing her fear and gathering what little of her courage that hadn’t left her since she entered this… hunting ground of death, so that she could enter.

It was cold in the crevice she found, an icy chill seeping through her clothing to bite at her flesh and bones with a malicious vengeance.

It was quiet, like before but it somehow seemed to echo, the silence, in the confined space. Water condensing on the stone surface and hanging suspended above the ground before it grew too heavy to stick, dropping down to plink against the floor before that too was swallowed by the oppressive silence.

Morgiana struck before the words “Who’s there?” were quietly uttered, shaking out her fist and wincing at the stinging pain from where her bones struck stubborn iron bars to some cage that refused to budge. Shouts of terror and wails of despair fighting desperately against the dark silence to be heard by the poor girl on the other side of the cage.

Her familiar companion, fear, growing fat on the desperate screams of the prisoners. Long pained wails from mothers that clung to their screaming children. The shouts of men as they ordered everyone to stay back with shaky breaths. And the tearful sobs of children who were too young and innocent to have lived through this terrible darkness, to have laid witness to the cause of this wanton blood and vile decay.

The screams quieted by the anxious shushing of those that dared to be heard above the terrified pleas of the captives. Until the ever-present iron-clad silence once more reigned supremely in the darkness.

“Are you alright?” Morgiana asked, not quite wanting to ask what happened here but knowing she would eventually have to ask.

“Are we okay?!” Someone bravely asked, frustration and anguish evident in their voice. “The hell do you think! Of course, we’re not okay! First, we get captured by bandits and handed off to their slaver buddies, then we’re sold off or god forbid some of us go missing in the night without an answer from anyone! Then that... that… that thing kills all the guards outside, and we listen for nights on end as it comes back to slaughter whatever else remained, some- jeez- those things, even if they were vicious animals, they didn’t deserve that, not even the slavers.” The man lost steam as he vented, lapsing into silence as the memories viscously surfaced.

Everyone was silent as they listened, just listened to him sob.

So something did come through and kill them all, the bandits and slavers that hadn’t left at least.

“It’s alright now,” Morgiana said, “I’m going to get you out of here!”

Feeling the bars for a solid chunk, like where the locking mechanism stood, eventually finding it with the help of the desperate captives inside. Their bony hands guided Morgiana to the door as they begged and thanked her for saving them. Giving the door several tugs and shaking dust and pebbles from the surrounding rock the metal was anchored with nothing to show for her efforts.

Angry shouts calling her stupid for trying to wrest the bars from their moorings and questioning what she was thinking to try something like that and to quit joking and find the key.

An elderly voice managed to quit the rabble-rousers who huffed or cried in their dark cell. ‘Thank you for your efforts young lady, but I think it would be best if you found the key, perhaps it’s in one of the bandits' rooms outside.” He said, unseen puffs of warm air swallowed mercilessly by the chilling cold void.

“Understood,” Morgiana agreed, feeling a pit of shame that she couldn’t even save these people, still too weak to do much more than wait for others to save her, or to do anything immediate about the plight of the captives. About to walk away and start her fumbling search in the dark before-

“You mean this key?”

And a whole new round of screaming began.

* * *

“Thank you, madame!” The leader of the caravan Morgiana had joined with a few months ago praised Aladdin.

Morgiana watched as the two traded pleasantries, far away from the still dark bandit fortress. A shiver running down Morgiana’s spine as she looked at it. Even when the sun peaked out to reveal the full extent of the carnage the night hid, the light seemed… dead? As it fell dully onto the bloody sandstone. Dark red smears that had turned brown with age showing just how long the massacre went on.

The freed captives had been locked away, forgotten and left behind for a week, regaled their rescuers and the caravan with their horrible tale.

Many had been captured, fleeing the economic nightmare in Balbadd or just traveling from point A to point B when they were captured by bandits and sold to slavers before they were cordoned off in the dark cells beneath the mesa rock that formed the massive structure. Recounting for how every night for the past week something came in the night to kill the bandits and slavers. At first, they thought it was their rescuers or another band of thieves that had come to take the hold, but as the massacres continued each night, as the pained and tortured cries of their captors filtered down through the dungeons to their quarters, as something truly inhuman roared and howled with twisted glee as it slaughtered without impediment, they realized their nightmare had only begun. Many had died, succumbing to disease or hunger, the survivors piling them in a corner and licking the cave walls to survive. The hope being that if they held on long enough they wouldn’t have to consume the flesh of their fallen comrades, one of the ultimate sins imaginable that only the truly depraved would do.

They were skin and bones when Morgiana and Aladdin freed them, the staggering group needing time to stumble out from their nightmare that would always hang over their hearts and minds for as long as they lived. Many not knowing how they would continue or live with their freedom but struggled onward for the sake of the friends and family they had left.

The arrival of Morgiana’s caravan and their hired muscle to free their friends that had been captured was a welcome sight as they rode over the desert with a plume of dust trailing behind them.

“Morgiana!” Sahsa screamed in relief as she glomped onto the smaller girl, her two friends in the caravan had been worried sick when they woke up to find Morgiana gone. Stealing one of the caravan's spare mounts, the two raced to catch up with the war party, much to their leader’s frustration, but they had to ensure their friend was okay. “You’re okay!”

“Hai,” Morgiana smiled.

“Don’t ever do that again!” Leila yelled as she punched Morgiana in the head to hammer home her point. “Do you have any idea how worried we were about you! We’re your friends and we didn’t know where you were when we woke up. Finding out from Sahsa's grandfather, the leader of the caravan, that Morgiana had talked to him about the bandit camp the night previous.

“Hai,” Morgiana both replied and apologized with misty eyes.

“Mah mah,” A familiar voice chirped beside Morgiana’s ear as an arm was slung over her shoulder. “Making friends I see, Morgiana.” Aladdin smiled inches from the startled fanalis girl’s face. “I’m proud to see you’ve found people to rely on so quickly.”

Morgiana tried to extricate herself and simultaneously hide the blush that rapidly spread across her face, cupping her cheeks as she tried to get some breathing room from the happy woman.

“Ah, Aladdin-sama?” Someone asked, giving Morgiana the chance to compose herself without the woman’s overbearing presence watching her like a proud gushing parent to see their toddler take their first steps. Half listening to the conversation and half watching Leila try to awkwardly sneak away with Sahsa in tow, the tan girl giving Morgiana a confused apologetic smile before she was rudely tugged behind the cover of a caravan of camels standing noisily nearby.

“... seriously going after that thing? Did you not see what it did to those bandits? Aladdin’s conversation partner, the leader of the mercenaries hired by the caravan, asked in bewildered amazement.

“Well someone has to,” Aladdin replied nonchalantly like it was the most obvious thing in the world. “Besides,” she countered, “I'm arguably the best equipped and most knowledgeable to what probably did this.” She said, a dark look crossing her face as she narrowed her eyes in concern, unconsciously gripping her wooden staff a little harder.

“What could have-”

“A beast,” Aladdin cut him off, “A terrible beast born of the men’s darkness to reap despair from the hearts of man and beast alike. A plague that must be wiped out before it can spread and do irreparable damage.”

The gathered party falling silent, weighing the gravity of Aladdin’s words as they tried to picture the monster that could cause such destruction and spring forth such angry determination from the normally jovial woman.

* * *

_ So Alibaba became a thief, a bandit king you could say, huh? _ Aladdin rhetorically asked herself, flicking the finger her little insectoid spy was resting on, watching as the iridescent silver beetle clumsily fluttered into the distance.

She let out an exasperated sigh, “And  _ that _ man happens to show up in Balbadd at the same time.” Watching as the clouds passed lazily over the vaulted night sky on the desert breeze.

“But is this the calm before the storm above our heads… or for something yet to come.” She spoke softly to herself, knowing trouble was as hard to remove from him as it was his signature purple hair. “I wonder how he’s doing.” She smiled fondly as she remembered the last time they had spoken. Not the best of her departures, but definitely not the worst.

“How who’s doing?”

Aladdin did not scream, nor did she brandish her staff with her favorite spell on the tip of her tongue. The frightened expression of Morgiana who had snuck up on the sorcerer of creation illuminated by the ball of fire dancing across the wood of her staff.

“Ah, Morgiana, you surprised me there.” She recovered with a laugh.

“Ah, my apologies, I didn’t mean to-.” Morgiana awkwardly muttered out, hopping awkwardly from foot to foot now that the imminent threat of immolation was no longer two words from turning her into charcoal.

“It’s fine, it’s fine…” Aladdin gently waving her hand in what she hoped was a placating gesture, motioning for Morgiana to join her stargazing.

The two fell into a companionable silence as they watched the stars slowly arc across the night sky.

“You’re going after that… thing?” Morgiana asked, Aladdin stiffening ever so slightly at the implication.

The fanalis’ answer was a simple hum from the taller woman.

“What- what did that? I’ve never seen anything like that, not even in Amon.” Morgiana hugged her torso as she tried to forget the smell of fetid blood and sun-baked rotten flesh, layers of blood that had been left to the open air to oxidize and turn black, brown and everything in between. The irony scent stowed away in her sinuses and would not leave.

“I have.”

“Yeah, but what caused it?!” Morgiana asked, knowing just about anything and everything would haunt her nightmares now, and she was lucky enough to have not lived through that very real nightmare. An amorphous mass of claws and teeth breathing down her neck as she ran down an infinite corridor as it laughed cruelly with a familiar mocking voice.

Aladdin tilted her head appraisingly at Morgiana, looking at the girl through the corner of her eye as she struggled with the vivid memory of the creature's aftermath.  _ Ugo, what have I gotten myself into? _

“Morgiana.”

Her tone was commanding as she stared out over the desert.

“Ah, hai…”

“What I am about to tell you, you must swear you won’t tell the others. Not now, not when the beast is dead, never. Do you promise?” She looked coldly at the sandy waste, not far enough away from that monstrosity she knew was crawling through the sands looking for its next hapless victim.

Morgiana stood still in the doorway as she looked at Aladdin, wondering what secret about this thing could be so terrible that she would be sworn to secrecy. Staring at Aladdin in silence, the woman’s veil wrapped around her shoulders like a long thick scarf to reveal the entirety of her blue dress. The long deep blue cloth with fanciful embroidery made her look powerful, like a mountain in the distance as a howling wind tried desperately to force its stony structure to bow. Standing firm and tall, knowing the consequences of her actions but taking the risk anyways so that others wouldn’t suffer from her complacency.

She had no reason to help anyone. She was a traveler, no ties to anyone, no country, not even a family that Morgiana knew of from their brief interactions.

But she saved Morgiana. She helped Alibaba through Amon. She found the key to the gaunt and starving captives' cage when Morgiana’s strength failed to free them from their confines, it seemed to be doing that a lot lately, her strength.

But Aladdin was, in this moment, afraid. And that unnerved Morgiana the most. The far off look in the blue-haired woman's steely eyes as she gazed at the horizon waiting for any manner of beast or monster to come over it foretold of a life of struggle, a life of loss and sadness. But Aladdin did not waver in it. She did not falter or stammer, nor did she hesitate where any god-fearing man, woman, or child would.

And then she remembered the stains, the smell that still lingered in her nostrils, and the horrifying tales from the captive slaves. Did she really want to know?

_ Yes. _

Aladdin looked at her, really looked at her, and saw the resolve forming behind Morgiana’s eyes, the brave front she was putting up as she leaned over the abyss, ready to jump.

So she sighed, knowing the girl was going to be stubborn in this. Looking over her shoulder and subtly motioning her beetles that had gathered to be on the lookout for eavesdroppers.

“When a man-” She began speaking, trying to think of a gentle way to break how men could become monsters, not beasts or automatons found in dungeons, but flesh and blood monsters born of nightmares and cruelty. “When a man falls deep enough into depravity, when he ceases all rational and reasonable thought, when he becomes so vile and twisted inside he transforms into a monster in the guise of a man- what do you think happens?” She asked, watching Morgiana’s confused expression as she struggled to grasp some of the vague esoteric regions of thought Aladdin had used.

The girl’s mouth opened and closed like a gaping fish as she tried to make words come out.

“He  _ becomes _ a monster.”

* * *

Finding the beast's lair was not hard.

She merely followed the trail of black rukh that swarmed the area like locusts, feeding off the anguish and despair of the beast's victims.

No, the hard part would be finding and killing it. Monsters like these, seeds borne from man’s darkest aspects, became a sort of- proto-djinn, a dark one. They swelled in size and power as they feasted on the bodies of the fallen. Slithering along abandoned battlefields to feast on the carcasses of brave soldiers left behind.

But where djinn were living beings formed purely from the rukh, these things, these  _ anomalies _ , were beings of flesh and blood, twisted and alien as they were. Struggling to make sense of the world they struck out blindly towards as they devoured all they came across and left a trail of corrupting destruction in their wake.

The swarm of black rukh probably appeared to Morgiana like a fog, a veil where Solomon’s principles struggled to make sense as they filtered through. This thing was farther along than most, its actions at the bandit hideout proof enough, the cloud of black rukh thin enough to still be largely invisible to non-magicians but thick enough for them to notice something was grossly wrong.

This cave though, this cave had nothing on the bandit hideout.

“What, what is that?” Morgiana asked feebly beside her.

She knew it was a mistake to bring her along, and it begged for trouble, but she also knew, in Morgiana’s proverbial shoes, that she would have tagged along with or without Aladdin’s permission. Best to keep Morgiana where she could keep an eye on her and mitigate injury, rather than have the young fanalis girl follow behind and die while Aladdin was busy elsewhere in what she knew to be a labyrinth of rock and stone.

“Black rukh.” She stated simply, conjuring a few balls of lights and sending them forth to try and illuminate their path with little result. Wishing more than anything to just cast a massive Bararaq Saiqa to blow up the accursed rock and be done with it.

But if she didn’t successfully kill the beast, the fallen man, and it somehow survived that, then there was no telling how much havoc it would sough as a result of her negligence. Wishing more than anything she had sent a beetle to Yunnan to let him know of the situation and help her. But, alas, she thought of that a little too late.

So with Morgiana holding onto her veil, she trekked forward, knowing it wouldn’t be long before the caravan and mercenaries awoke from her sleeping spell and rode out to assist in their… hunt. She was hesitant to call it that, knowing that the man turned beast had once been a man who struggled, who received no help and as a result became something that could not be helped. Even if he was a slaver before this mess.

“The smells here, worse than before,” Morgiana spoke quietly, waving her hand in front of her face to try and rid the fetid smell from her nostrils. Try being the keyword, the smell of blood and rotting flesh quickly making itself at home as the duo traveled deeper and deeper into the rock.

It felt like some twisted mirror of a dungeon, but there was no reward, no test for greatness, no djinn- just the promise of death.

Eventually, the wide winding tunnel they had been traveling down opened up to a chamber of sorts, the light from outside barely making it this far in on its own with the thick presence of the black rukh hanging about. The angry sound of their hissing as they flew had Aladdin gripping her staff tighter and tighter. A great coil of twisting metal that threatened to snap any moment as the tension mounted.

They were being watched.

“Morgiana!” She shouted, pulling the girl behind her as the familiar sensation of her borg blocked the monster's surprise attack.

“What is- what ist that?!” The panicked Morgiana stuttered out behind Aladdin, kneeling on the ground and looking at the monster’s face and claws, the only things illuminated by her magic through the oppressive darkness of the cave, the monsters slaughter grounds.

And a monster it was. The vague image of a human face, twisted and contorted into an eternal feral grin as it leered down at them from an impressive height. The beast had to be taller than Hinahoho and far stronger than the Imachukk, maybe as strong as Masrur, as its claws scratched at Aladdin’s borg and made a sound akin to nails scraping over a chalkboard but a thousand times worse as it roared into their ears.

The woman instantly regretted bringing Morgiana along, the girl would be far out of her depth even with Aladdin’s help. And Aladdin couldn’t waste time or split her attention on protecting the girl should this turn into a full-on fight, deep in her stomach she knew it would.

“Morgiana,” Aladdin struggled, sweat beginning to form as she felt the monstrous creature start pounding on her borg with its claws and actually push her back a few inches along the hard cave floor, the sound like thunder in the distance, not helped by the cave walls that seemed to reverberate it in a cruel effort to dishearten them. Pools of dark brown saliva falling past an impressive and gruesome set of fangs as toxic mist swirled into the air just past her magic defense. “I’m going to give you an opening and you are to run, you are to run far away from here and take the caravan with you. I don’t care if you have to drag them.”

“Aladdin-sama!”

“Morgiana, you are out of your depth here and I can’t-”

“Aladdin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ain't I just a stinker with that cliff hanger?
> 
> This was much shorter than the, on average, ten thousand word chapters I usually write, but I feel like splitting this one into two for suspense cause, and you had to know this coming into my domain with a name tag like mine, I'm trash of not only the highest quality but also the greatest volume, it's in the name.
> 
> As to the "corruption", this is a concept I had, mostly for plot reasons, but also because the anomalies spoken of in the series never quite made sense to me. While not natural, war and famine are kinda parts of you know... living. So this is a much more tangible consequence of such corruption in the world and my headcanon to how Al-Thamen eventually made the mediums and dark djinn, as cruel mockeries to Solomon's principles and creation. Their answer to fighting "fate".
> 
> Brief edit cause I almost forgot:
> 
> This chapter would not come out! It was terrible!
> 
> But I do now have a hundred little fluffy snippets I might post during a substantial brain drought!


	8. Worse Than Beasts, Worse than Bandits, Worse Than Slavers (Part II)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aladdin and Mogiana fight for their life against the corrupted Fatima.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thought I would have this out sooner. I was wrong.

Morgiana could do no more than stare in horror as the man turned beast pounded against Aladdin’s barrier, laughing maniacally.

Aladdin had ordered her, screamed for her to run, but Morgiana’s body refused to move. She could only call out when the creatures stopped its assault and grinned in sadistic amusement before something just outside their view, hidden by the darkness, skittering just above their head. Finger-like protrusions with exposed bone filed down to a sharpened point hovering just above their heads, right where Aladdin couldn’t see them.

Morgiana knew it would take a tremendous amount of power to break through the yellow dome encapsulating them, more than she could give, and more than this beast it seemed for the moment. But the sheer wrongness of their situation, and the way the creature smiled in glee with too wide lips that revealed the black and bleeding gums of the beast as it towered over them in their protective dome of light.

Watching frozen in terror as the boney pincers passed seamlessly through the barrier like it wasn’t even there. Seeing the spider-like limbs stab Aladdin in the back, lifting the woman up into the air to dangle before its open mouth. Her barrier falling and the orbs of light flickered as she lost focus, dropping her staff to woodenly clack against the floor from shock. Blood seeped through the white of her veil as she was brought closer and closer to the beasts opening maw, fitting the entirety of Aladdin’s head inside its mouth before Morgiana finally snapped out of her stupefied terror.

She thinks she kicked it.

Morgiana would never be sure as the adrenaline took over and the next cognitive thought she could process was that Aladdin wasn’t moving and in her lap. Ragged breaths with something rattling with every exhale that Morgiana could hear hovering feet away from Aladdin’s chest, cradling the stunned woman’s head in her lap.

Locking eyes with the monster, Morgiana watched a grin stretch across its face as it slipped back into the shadows, like a twisted cruel mask slipping under the surface of a black sea.

Morgiana ran, throwing the Magi over her back and feeling the woman’s head lull against her shoulder. The light’s Aladdin had conjured dimming now that their summoner was barely conscious and breathing raggedly over Morgiana’s shoulder right by her ear. The girl looked for the exit and tried through the panic and terror to remember the way out through the darkness, back to the light of day, but the darkness swallowed what little light she had and was closing in fast.

That thing, whatever it was, giggled, actually giggled as it chased after them. And it was fast, darting in and out of the ever-shrinking circle of light that guided her way through the veil of darkness, sunken humanoid features smiling with a toothy grin that quite literally stretched from ear to ear.

She didn't know what was worse, the fact that she wanted the monster to have sharp pointy dagger-like teeth, or that it had a mouthful of humanoid teeth instead. Sharp incisors that jutted out at vicious angles, canine teeth that had grown longer but still fit inside the cracked lips without jutting out like small tusks, and the grinding molars in the back that glinted in the light as its mouth opened wide as it smiled. It was like some abominable eel with the way it opened and closed its mouth to breathe, an eel that had dragged itself from the deepest depths to toy with her.

It played with her, she’d find some stone arch that led down a tunnel only for it to leap out of nowhere and block the exit, swiping coyly at her with sickle-like talons on a four-digit limb, a pitch like substance slowly dripped down the bloody nails.

To say nothing of the smell that emanated not only from their surroundings but the beast itself. The cave alone smelled like a mass grave that had been left unburied in the sun, while the beast smelled a thousand times worse, as if all the victims it had killed had been drained of their blood for the beast to bathe in.

Fast on her feet, Morgiana pivoted and dashed between rocks to get away, the lights a mixed blessing as they were otherwise the only thing that allowed her to see in the unnatural darkness but highlighted her position for the beast to see.

A swipe to the side that made her understand just what it felt like to get punched by  _ her _ had sent her flying through the air and smashing into one of the jutting stalagmites sticking up from the ground and shattering it, knocking the air from her lungs as she fell under a pile of rubbles.

Desperately as she watched the  _ thing _ play with Aladdin’s barely conscious form, batting it back and forth like a cat would a dead mouse before smacking the limp body of the woman hard. Aladdin bounced with a sickening thud, the lights flickering once more before dimming substantially before Morgiana finally freed herself in a frenzy of vindictive rage and a primal need to save Aladdin.

To prove it hadn’t been a mistake for her to tag along. That she was grateful for Aladdin and Alibaba freeing her. That she could be useful if only a little.

Snarling as she flew through the air and delivered a vicious kick to the beasts jaw, her attack strong enough to shatter the beasts lower mandible, before leaping back to stand over Aladdin’s unmoving form to face the beast. Horror etching itself across her face as she watched the beast snap the limp hanging flesh of its lower jaw back into place. Wet squishing noises as the bones shifted and crunched back into place. Any teeth that had been knocked out or shattered from the massive mouth growing in sharp and new. It shook its lower jaw, testing out the newly repaired appendage before letting out an ear-splitting screech before lunging at her.

Morgiana was forced to meet its attack or else leave Aladdin vulnerable, the entire back of her veil streaked with red from her wounds. Every one of her strikes healed in seconds, broken bones grinding back into place while the beast swiped at her. Tiny scratches littered her body and made her woozy, poisoned claws most likely, but she couldn’t, wouldn’t, fall. She refused to become a victim of this monster, much less let Aladdin.

But as the fight wore on, as the conjured lights dimmed, as the fear that Aladdin would succumb to the wounds she had sustained, as every injury she inflicted on the beast vanished as if they had never been there, as Morgiana’s actions became sluggish, her attacks sloppy and the claws getting closer and closer, she realized she had to retreat.

Shifting her strategy to keeping the beast's attention on her, and not the prone form of Aladdin, Morgiana searched for an opportunity to escape.

There! In the wall nearby, a small fissure big enough for Morgiana to squeeze through with Aladdin on her back. Hopefully, the beast would be too bulky to follow. But first…

Thinking fast, Morgiana picked up two sharp rocks that miraculously fit in her hand, leaping up over the beast’s head, careful to watch for the scorpion-like limbs that jutted from just behind its shoulders, Morgiana brought the first rock up over her head and, with a loud battle cry, jabbed it into the beast's eye, hoping the debris would stick in there long enough to slow down or stop any regeneration from happening. Quickly following suit with the other rock before taking one powerful leap, the beast buckling under the force of Morgiana’s powerful legs, to clear the distance to Aladdin. Running as fast as she could with the limp, but thankfully still warm, body of the Magi.

Making it to the cave without issue, Morgiana cast her head back to see the beast clawing at its own face, blood oozing and flowing down its elongated skull as it tried to remove the debris. It was partly successful, removing one of the stones as it’s eye quickly regenerated in its naked socket. Letting out an enraged roar before bounding after her.

Morgiana ran as fast as her legs could go to put distance between herself and the horrid predator, feet slapping along the passage floor as the stale air of the tunnel whipped by her face. Only stopping when she heard the beast slam against the wall, turning to see it tearing and clawing at the walls in the dimming light.

Backing slowly to keep an eye on the beast to make sure this wasn’t a trick, cradling Aladdin’s form close to her body before she turned around.

Leaving the beast to scream and roar as its prey made itself scarce.

* * *

Pain, that’s all she felt, every nerve felt like it was on fire. Her muscles screamed in protest like they had been run through a meat grinder. She could feel her magoi and rukh try desperately to heal the damage but there was a disconnect. Her rukh could not communicate with her magoi, could not automatically heal the gaping wounds in her back that exposed the bone beneath. It was a struggle to send even a jolt through her body. She felt- she felt cut off. Like something intrinsic to herself was missing, or rather locked behind a giant metal door, several in fact.

Trying to focus, she remembered the initial attack. The piercing pain that struck her as the monster lifted her into the air. About to lose her head before everything went black. But she couldn’t remember why. She couldn’t remember what she was doing before the pain, a chasmous void that swallowed everything.

Her skull pounded, and even as delirious as she was, she knew she had a concussion.

Time seemed to bleed as she flitted in and out of consciousness.

Vaguely aware of someone hovering over her.

Who did she know that would give her this level of care? Put this much worry into their efforts that even in her drugged and addled state Aladdin could read the body language a mile away?

Working her mind in overtime as she tried to figure out who. Running through a myriad of faces. Crossing out the list of names as she went down due to improbability.

Ugo… Baasan… Sinbad?

“Sin?”

* * *

Morgiana worked tirelessly in the small safe space the tunnel afforded her.

Having done her best to dress Aladdin's wounds in the darkness by, regrettably and after much deliberation, tearing off strips of the woman’s veil. Or at least the parts that were clean and already not red with blood. The white fabric was already soaked through but managed to do its job.

Amidst Aladdin’s robes, Morgiana found a myriad of items that the woman had stashed away within the many hidden folds of her clothing. Among which was a simplistic fire starter kit, replete with tinder, flint, and iron, that Morgiana used to start a small fire after miraculously stumbling across bits and pieces of wood in an adjacent room that thankfully did not connect to anything the beast could use to get to them, at least from Morgiana’s observations.

She was in the midst of taking stock of the room in the flickering low light of the tiny fire. It must have been a storage room at some point, barrels of musty old food, stale water, and a few dusty weapons that sat for ages in the dark collecting rust before Morgiana came along to disturb their routine. Running her finger along the surface of an old wooden table that would probably collapse if she so much as sneezed, pulling up a thick coat of grime and dirt that coated her finger in an earthy gray layer. The fine coating for filth left a smear on her white skirt as she wiped her finger off on the material.

It seemed less oppressive in here, the fog of darkness not as thick and those black chittering bird things were only an occasional nuisance, attempting to land on Aladdin before Morgiana swatted it away. She knew what Aladdin had told her about the  _ thing _ that had attacked them, that had slaughtered the bandit camp. That it was a man that became ‘twisted’ by the black butterfly creatures and his own warped psyche. But even with that explanation, after seeing that thing and fighting it herself, she just couldn't believe it. Slapping her cheeks to pull herself from the memory of Aladdin floating in the air on that monster’s- whatever those things were, scorpion tails? Two of them?

She hadn’t seen the monster's whole mass, only its face and forelimbs along with those... things. Would it have more limbs, it was already huge, standing nearly twice as tall as Aladdin, who hovered around six feet herself, and it was probably crouching with how it’s front limbs were placed on the floor. It was hard to consolidate that she had only seen but a portion of the beast, even harder to believe it had pierced Aladdin's shield, something Morgiana or even those dungeon monsters couldn’t pierce. And yet, that thing not only had Aladdin bracing herself, but also tore through it like wet paper and did something to her.

More and more Morgiana felt like the situation was hopeless as they were holed up in this dingy little hollow waiting to starve or be eaten by that thing. What could-

“Sin…”

Aladdin’s pained moan broke Morgiana from her cynical line of thought, the young redhead dashing to the older woman’s side and placing the back of her hand, the cleaner one, on the bluenette’s forehead. It was warm, almost hot to the touch. Thinking fast, Morgiana dashed to the barrel with stale water, tearing off a piece of her tunic after a moment of searching for something, anything, to wet. Bringing the cold wet cloth to the fevered woman’s forehead who relaxed somewhat with the cool cloth and stopped her delirious tossing.

“Sin…” She moaned weakly, reaching out for Morgiana in the mistaken belief she was someone else.

“I’m here,” Morgiana softly comforted Aladdin, watching the Magi’s glazed blue eyes dart around confusedly in their sockets, searching in vain for the person she thought Morgiana to be.

“Don’t worry, I’ll get us out of here,” Morgiana assured the woman, noticing something spark deep beneath that layer of fog, a piece of Aladdin rising to the surface in recognition before being consumed and falling once more beneath the surface of that beast’s constricting influence.

“Morgiana.” She moaned out, reaching out to grasp the girl and prevent her from running off, only to fall over with how weak she was.

“I’ll be right back,” Morgiana assured her, helping the fallen woman into a sitting position against the nearby wall before grabbing a torch from the fire. Exiting the door and leaving their temporary shelter behind.

_ I probably won’t find anything in there.  _ Morgiana thought to herself, looking in the direction they came.  _ But maybe _ . She took off in the opposite direction, the flame flickering as she ran and threatened to extinguish as the stale cave air buffeted burning wood. There was a slight incline as she ran through a twisting tunnel, climbing the occasional stairway but not finding any other passageway except for the occasional hole. Some were big enough for a man to crawl through on his hands and knees while others were just rat holes dug into the rock.

After what felt like an hour of exploring the tunnel with nothing to show for it, Morgiana found something. A fork in the road presented itself to the fanalis girl, the tunnel she had been traveling down opened perpendicular to a much larger tunnel, a tunnel a beast could stalk through if it wanted.

_ I’ll need to be careful. _ Morgiana assessed, sniffing the air for the rotten stench of blood that heralded the beast, along with any other anomalies that might be present. Deciding to go down the right route on a whim, traveling down it for a mere minute before it opened up to a large cavern.

Pools of water that smelled… odd. Morgiana stooped before one and watched her still reflection in the firelight before leaping back as fast as she could once she realized what it was.

Oil.

There must have been a well deep underneath the rocks that was bubbling up to mix with the aquifer. There were a few oases around Qishan that had become unsafe to drink from after earthquakes released the buoyant substance from underground prison to mix with the aquifer, though thankfully none that fed the desert hub. The same must have happened here, or someone just dumped barrels of oil for no reason.

Holding her torch up to the darkness, keeping it far away from the pools of flammable material, Morgiana surveyed, or rather attempted to survey, the cavern. The fog was… lighter here, more like a black mist than a cloud, with Morgiana able to see further in it than in the tunnels. The air seemed cooler up here, meaning there was probably an exit nearby. Morgiana’s heart began to race at the prospect of escaping this prison and finding Aladdin help but she did not rush.

Instead, she began a slow process of sniffing the air for any hints of a fresh breeze while giving the pools of oil and water a wide berth, winding around thin columns of stone that supported the ceiling. Her only companion in the dark being her own footsteps quietly bouncing across the cavern walls and the light crackling of the flame.

She felt it more than saw the attack, one second trying to decipher the dark mist, and then the next she was sent sprawling across the floor, digging her hands and feet into the earth to stop her impromptu flight across the cavern. Snarling in the direction where the beast sent her sprawling before an explosion had her covering her face. The realization that her torch had gone flying into one of the many interconnected pools of flammable fire water hitting as hard as the monsters next attack which had her gasping for breath as her back was slammed against one of the stones columns, shaking loose stones and a few stalactites loose from their moorings up above.

Morgiana fought for her life as the creature tried to finish her off while she was down, closing its jaws around her prone form, but Morgiana refused to lie down and get eaten. Grabbing two of the tusk-like teeth and ignoring the pain as she held the jaws open by brute strength alone. The beast lifted her up and twisted wildly in an attempt to dislodge her. Monstrous growls and hot breath bore down on Morgiana as the beast began slamming her back against the hard stone floor, she was going to have one hell of a bruise tomorrow but she remained firm and refused to budge. What finally set her free wasn’t the beast’s efforts to dislodge her like a dog that managed to swallow a ball bigger than its mouth, but Morgiana’s tightening grip that shattered the beast’s teeth, embedding shards in her hand that she quickly dislodged.

Smoke filled the air and the fires blazed a hellish red that pierced through the black mist if only because it somehow made the room more terrifying. Because of the flames, Morgiana could now see the beast, and she really wished she couldn’t.

A twisted body that once might have belonged to a man, cat-like and had a torso over twelve feet long, was now twisted and broken. Bones grown so long they stretched the hideous purple-black skin or broke it in some places. Ugly welts, boils, and puss-filled blisters that grew in irregular patches and in all sizes covered every inch of unblemished skin. Matted silvery white hair that ran down the thing’s spine in patchy uneven locks. A grotesque scar, puckered and pink like it was just healed, ran up its forelimbs. The scar was likely the result of whatever shards of bone had broken off from the main limbs to form the spidery appendages that shivered in anticipation above its head, the same limbs that had put Aladdin in the pitiful state.

Blind rage mixed with indignant determination as Morgiana shot across the room to deliver a powerful kick to the beast’s jaw, once more shattering it, before twisting around onto its back and ripping the spidery limbs off. She somersaulted through the air while the beast bellowed in pain, rolling on the floor before renewing her assault before the beast could react. Letting out a scream of her own as she felt the bones of the beast's limb snap under her punch. Following through by smashing the rest of the beast’s legs, rolling away as the monster could no longer support its weight on its broken bones, its jaw already healed.

Now a fair distance away after he assault, Morgiana took a running start, getting low and fast as she built up momentum, propelling herself off the ground with all her might and rolling midair to deliver the strongest kick of her life and sent the crippled beast into the hellfire.

It screamed in agony, the noise-making Morgiana cover her ears as it felt like ants burrowing into her eardrums before it became silent. A fair number of those black butterfly things flying into the flame, like moths to- well, a flame.

Five steps, she had taken five steps away with her back to the crackling flame when an impossible weight rammed into her back and smashed her into the floor, leaving a sizable crater in the floor and knocking all the air from her lungs. The fallen fanalis turned her head in disbelief to meet the frenzied eyes of the monster, every bone healed but the spidery limbs seemed to be taking a while to heal, angry blisters the size of apples pulsed and throbbed over the injury. She tried to push against the force holding her down with no result. The furious beast shoving her further into her crater with malicious glee as it grinned down at her, taking its sweet time to bite her head off by slowly fitting her head in its mouth.

Banging her hands on the ground and doing everything in her power to free herself of the beast’s grasp. Screaming in vain as she struggled with all her might, only for the creature to push harder and dig its claws into her back, slowly driving the points further. Brilliantly blinding pain flowing around the bleeding wounds and flew up her nerves and made her aware of every drop of blood she lost in excruciating detail.

About to give up when the creature pulled back with a roar of pain. Able to breathe but unable to move, Morgiana could see a figure standing with their back to her through her bleary tear laden eyes. Someone was shouting.

“Over here you fuggly ass bastard!” Aladdin’s furious voice managed to scream out with raw intensity. The woman stood between Morgiana and the creature wielding a long curved sword in each hand. Her long braid slowly coming undone, and bounced from the turbulent air that whipped about the cave from the still-burning fires that littered the cave and cast demonic shadows on the walls.

The beast paid no attention to the insult, too busy trying to claw the rusty boar spear that was now deeply lodged in its eye with black blood spurting out like a geyser. Eventually, the monster snapped the wood of the spear off but could not remove the rusty iron blade still embedded in its eye, barbed points stubbornly stuck in place. Settling on snarling at the two women, watching them with its one good eye.

“That’s right you mangy cur, over here,” Aladdin spoke under her breath loud enough for Morgiana, and more importantly, the beast to hear. The monster bristled at the insult and let out a massive roar that shook the cave walls and freed stalactites from the ceiling, creating a storm of deadly stone spears. Charging at them with supernatural speed only to be met by Aladdin twirling with the grace of a dancer in her prime, artfully dodging under its swipes and dashing between its legs, slashing and cutting every weak point that presented itself.

Aladdin made quick work of the creature, attacking with frenzied precision and a stubborn will to survive. But the creature would not stay down, no matter how much it bled, how deeply Aladdin stabbed at its heart, coming close to slicing off its head with a move that Morgiana would forever remember. Aladdin used the creature's own struggle to propel herself into the air to build momentum before bringing her scavenged sword down to viciously carve into its neck, severing its spinal cord with cold determination written across her face.

The reasons she never cut cleanly through would forever remain a mystery to Morgiana, watching in horror as the blade became stuck somewhere in its windpipe as the wound closed up rapidly around Aladdin's blade.

“Mother fucking shit on a bloody fucking cock!” Aladdin swore before yanking the blade out only to jab it viciously into the beast’s eye and twisting it in with her own brand of vindictive glee before running towards Morgiana. “Let’s go!” She said, picking Morgiana up in one swift motion and running away to hide.

“Sorry I’m late,” Aladdin began, “had to go pick this up!” She pulled her staff from behind a rock before dragging Morgiana behind a large set of columns towards the far side of the cavern walls. “Are you all right?” Aladdin asked her, checking the fanalis girl over like she herself had not been impaled and lifted off the ground a mere six hours earlier.

“Are you?!” Morgiana whispered out incredulously.

Aladdin stopped her assessment, finding nothing majorly wrong with Morgiana’s injuries, looking deeply into the red head’s eyes with a kind warmth. “No.”

Morgiana had another question on the tip of her tongue but the creature’s thrashing and roars made it evident that it had an idea as to where they were hiding.

“What do we do?”

“Give me a moment.” Aladdin looked frantically around for something to improvise, wishing for the millionth time that she had Sinbad’s sheer dumb luck to rely on at the moment. Spotting something lying on the floor and hoping her father wasn’t testing her at the moment with a cruel joke. “Quickly, over here.” She ran to the materials on the floor.

“Chains?” Morgiana asked in a mix of confusion and discomfort.

“Yup!” Aladdin chirped.

“Can’t you do magic?!” Morgiana asked, panic rising as the beast started scraping at the stone barrier in a blind rage to get to them.

“Nope,” The blue-haired woman nonchalantly chirped once more, handing the bewildered Morgiana one of the sturdier-looking lengths of chain before grabbing the frightened fanalis by the shoulder. Staring into Morgiana’s eyes with a manic look in her blue eyes that was only found on mad geniuses and idiots with nothing better to do when they had a bright idea pop into their head. “Listen up, I’ve got one good shot to end this,” Aladdin gestured to her staff, “or we die,” She casually said, “So follow my lead.” She hoisted her own coil of chain before dashing out from one of the columns and weaving between the beast’s legs.

The creatures struck blindly at her, managing to help get itself more tangled in Aladdin’s coil as it tried to bat her. Morgiana wasted no time herself after watching Aladdin run with a level of determination she could only hope to match one day, darting out from the cover with a battle cry that drew the beast’s attention.

The spider-like limbs had regrown and were flailing about, stabbing into the stone as they tried to stick them like the boar spear still lodged in its socket. With some careful maneuvering, Morgiana leapt over its back and weaved through its legs, pulling on the chain and smiling triumphantly as she heard the creature roar following the sickening crack of bone as the limbs snapped but remained attached.

They remained like this, weaving in and out of the tangle of limbs and chains, leaping over the barriers and attacks like they were dancing. “Morgiana!” Aladdin called, running aways a bit, indicating Morgiana to follow. The girl quickly followed, catching up and grabbing Aladdin’s chain while her companion did the same. “On three!” Aladdin called, the two ready to pull and end this with Aladdin’s one shot. “Three!” She bellowed behind Morgiana and the two pulled on their chains. The slack became non-existent as the monster became more entangled while the two brought it to the ground.

“Hold it steady!” Aladdin commanded, dropping the chains while Morgiana played the deadliest game of tug of war with the monster. “Har-har,” Aladdin waved her staff in front of her, a spark of flame coming into existence to join the still burning pits all around them. The beast screaming like a banshee as it couldn’t move, sensing something was up. “Alshams!” She thrust the bottom of her staff into the beast's mouth, piercing the top jaw and letting black blood spurt out. A moment of silence before a blazing mini-sun consumed the two. Morgiana held onto the chains despite the intense heat that shot up it until her brain forced her to. Deep burns running across her fingers and palms that were already starting to blister.

The sun began to expand, threatening to consume the kneeling Morgiana, hot wind whipping by her from the intense heat and nearly singed her eyebrows off. With a final pulse, it burst upwards in a tower of explosive flame that tore a large chunk of the cave roof off. Beams of sunlight shining down as debris began to fall from the collapsing cave, leaving Morgiana surrounded by massive boulders the size of buildings.

“Aladdin!” Morgiana screamed with a raw throat, trying to be heard over the sound of falling rock. The explosion dissipated into hot air and a dusty mushroom cloud that towered into the sky.

Silence.

“Aladdin!”

This time she was met with the sound of dry coughing.

Wasting no time, Morgiana ran, becoming airborne when her feet met no ground, and gravity took over. Falling down a good six feet before rolling down a gentle slope, bumping into something soft in the middle. 

She couldn’t see Aladdin, but she could feel and hear her. Haggard breaths that shook the woman’s body, shafts of sunlight making its way to them through the rising columns of dust.

“Aladdin,” Morgiana smiled at the prone woman who was looking at her with a dumb smile.

“Thank you Morgiana,” Aladdin told her with a gentle twinkle in her blue eyes.

“Why are you thanking me?”

“Because you helped. Let’s call it even, yeah!”

“Yeah.” Morgiana nodded.

“Good,” Aladdin said with a sigh, “Now help me up. Cause I can’t move.”

* * *

_ This time- this time I’m going to kill her _ . The blonde thief-turned-trader thought violently as she rode along with the war party. Terrifying beetle woman be damned she was going to skin Morgiana alive and then sow it back on.

Broken from her thoughts of murder and needlework when the animals became spooked, rearing up and making noises of protest as the ground quaked.

“What is-”

“Look out!”   
  


“Steady!”

People in the party shouted as they tried to get their mounts under control.

“Over there!” Sahsa shouted in Leila’s ear, pointing towards the distance where a massive plume of fire shot into the sky and past the clouds.

The party now having a clear indication of where the magic-user and her fanalis companion had probably gone to and met trouble judging by the mushroom cloud now hanging in the air like an x on a treasure map. Except instead of treasure they’d likely find some horrid abomination and two injured or dead friends.

They had stopped at the mesa bottom, trying to figure out how to get to the top when something brown dropped from the sky. Everyone pointed their weapons to the intruders, ready to slay whatever beastie came down from its lair.

“Wait!” Sahsa was the first to shout, running in front of everyone and putting her arms up to act as a barrier between the hunting party and the dirty figure.

“Sahsa, what are you-” The girl’s grandfather asked her bewildered at his granddaughter's actions.

“It’s Morgiana and Aladdin!” She revealed, everyone stretched their necks to look over the girl and indeed realized it was Aladdin and Morgiana. The former awkwardly laughing as the latter carried her on her back. Both of them were covered in dirt and grime, a few cuts and wounds obvious from where the dust clotted the blood. Their clothes were in disarray and Aladdin’s normally well-maintained braid was falling apart in several places, the left side of her face hidden behind a curtain of dirty dust-covered hair.

The two quickly found themselves swarmed by the group, Sahsa and Leila hugging Morgiana as tightly as they could with tears in their eyes while the recipient awkwardly stood there not knowing what to do with people cheering around her. At some point, one of the men liberated her from carrying Aladdin by supporting the Magi under her shoulder.

“Mah mah, Morgiana, aren’t you popular!” The woman chirped, her support chuckled a bit as everyone watched Morgiana’s sheepish reaction to the light teasing.

“You!” Leila shouted, forgetting her fear of the beetle woman.

“Me?”

“You!”

“You?”

“You- You- You…” Leila lost steam as she sheepishly pointed a finger at the confused dusty woman.

“I’m sorry do I-”

“NOPE!” Leila shouted, clearly trying to hide the fact they did indeed know each other.

“YOU!”

* * *

Morgiana didn’t know what to think of the situation. She almost believed that she had died back in the cave and their firework escape had just been her last minutes of a fevered dream. But the aching in her muscles and bone along with the stinging pain of a myriad of cuts and bruises said otherwise.

So that just left her to watch Leila run away from a very irate Aladdin chasing after her.

Except 'chase' might be a strong word for how the sorcerer of creation was pursuing the terrified girl. Strong because Aladdin still couldn’t move properly, instead she inched aggressively after the crying teen attempting to bite at her ankles to take her down.

This, of course, served as the catalyst for her brain to finally shut down from a mixture of exhaustion and trauma.

“I’M SORRY!”   
  


“GET BACK HERE YOU LITTLE THIEF! I’M GONNA BITE YOUR HANDS OFF AS PUNISHMENT! WHERE’S MY STUFF!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We're getting closer to Sinbad in his birthday suit, Huzzah!


	9. Journey to Balbadd

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgiana and Aladdin make their way towards the seaside city of Balbadd, while on the distant horizon and certain plum haired king does the same.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I completely forgot to mention that the events of the slavers arc happens about four months in advance so all of these events take place about six months before the events that take place in Balbadd, and finish around the same time as canon with Morgiana and Aladdin finding a naked Sinbad.

Aladdin was becoming intimately aware of the 787 bricks that made up the ceiling of the room she was in. The gentle sound of Morgiana’s breathing accompanied the chirping of desert crickets late into the night. The bright gentle light of the moon filtered down through the shutters. A peaceful night and yet Aladdin couldn’t sleep, not the deep sleep that a marching band couldn’t wake her from nor the “creepy” light sleep she would normally take when in an unfamiliar place. So sitting, or rather laying, wide awake, Aladdin tried to grasp at her magoi, not just the bountiful ocean of energy that the rukh gave her, but that portion that was instric to her being.

All her efforts came back empty.

It was there, she just couldn’t connect, it was like walking into a glass wall every time and she wasn’t strong enough to shatter it. Whatever the corrupted did to her it stuck. The poison that still lingered in her veins like thick lumps of clotted tar sticking to her veins and arteries blocking the flow of Magoi within her.

As if to remind her, the gaping wounds in her back throbbed painfully. Worse, there was an itch begging to be scratched on her nose but her muscles had the consistency of a very liquidy jello.

It had truly been a miracle that had her counting every lucky star she could think of. The toxins had already set in by the time she became coherent before she set the beast alight. That had been a massive gamble that should have, by all rights, not worked. Like a single bee killing a bear not have worked chance.

On the bright side, she could feel the tips of her fingers and wiggle them the tiniest bit.

On the downside, however-

“I know you’re there.”

The motionless woman called out. Morgiana was still too exhausted to do much more than scrunch up her nose in irritation before her breathing resumed its usual relaxed pacing.

The sounds of a scuffle making its way through the curtain that partitioned their room from the hall but no one came out.

Leila had been acting weird, weirder than usual, and Sahsa would bet her favorite camel, Princess Watermelon (She had been four excuse you), that it all came down to Morgiana’s friend Aladdin. Every time the woman was nearby Leila would break for cover, often hiding behind Sahsa, and the caravan girl couldn’t for the life of her figure why.

But then after watching the injured magician crawl after the girl, proclaiming her a thief at the top of her lungs while aggressively inch worming after the fleeing blonde, she knew there was a deeper story.

Sahsa had been taking a basin of water to Aladdin when she caught sight of Leila hiding behind the door. She had tried to get Leila to take the basin in, knowing the wounds on Aladdin’s back probably made it hard for her to sleep and her lack of  _ any  _ mobility meant she couldn’t find a more comfortable position without someone there to assist her. To say nothing of Morgiana’s hands, her freakishly strong friend’s palms and fingers had been burnt beyond recognition with the skin melting off in some areas. How she managed to carry Aladdin down a sheer cliff face would remain a mystery to her, but she’d bet it was whatever blessing gave her the monstrous strength that allowed her to push past what had to be agonizing pain.

Just the memory of those wounds made her shiver.

But back to Leila, she had made an effort to get the girl to take the water in, a peace offering of sorts, but to no avail.

Sahsa set down the basin on a nearby window that faced the open-air courtyard, miming for her friend to go inside. Making a brief attempt to shove her through the heavy curtain but Leila proved too slippery, darting down the hall without making a sound.

Going back to the window, Sahsa picked up the basin and made her way towards her two injured friends, using her back to push back the curtain as she gently carried the water-filled basin into the room.

“Was everything alright?” Aladdin’s quiet voice surprised her. It was only through years of working as a caravan trader moving valuable goods through busy streets that she didn’t drop her spillable cargo.

“AH-”

“Shh!” Aladdin nodded her head to the sleeping form of Morgiana, the girl was out of it though, dead for all the world.

“Sorry.” She whispered, quickly joining Aladdin at her bedside and making an indication to the bandages wrapped around her torso and the basin. Getting a chuckle from Aladdin who looked at her with a wry smile, jerking her head to indicate her current situation.

  
“Oh, right… Sorry.” Sahsa spoke, putting the shallow vessel on the nearby bed table before she gingerly helped Aladdin into a sitting position, wincing as the woman grunted in pain from her wounds and stiffness. “This might sting,” She warned, peeling back the bandages and trying not to barf at the sticky yellowish pus-like goo that clung made a snail’s trail between Aladdin’s flesh and the bandages.

They always had at least one person in their caravan that could deal with injuries, and they were never more thankful for elder Tesha today than when she helped to sow and dress the two’s wounds. Morgiana’s wounds had been horrible to look at but had nothing on the bleeding nightmares that opened up Aladdin’s back. The nightmarish wound was deep enough to scrape bone and was nearly too wide for them to be stitched shut. Now, the medical sutures were coated in a mix of blood, ointment, and pus, the wounds and angry mess of stretched skin that warped and folded in on itself to encourage healing.

“Neh, Aladdin,”

“Hai?”

“Why are you angry with Leila, you keep calling her a thief, did she steal something from you?” Sahsa asked, trying to gauge Aladdin’s reaction but found nothing. The woman just stared silently into space. “Mah,” Sahsa continued to dress her wounds, “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want.”

Gently, she helped Aladdin back down to lay on the bed, asking her if she was comfortable and getting an affirmative hum before she continued with the cleanup. Gathering up the old bandaged, careful not to touch the bloody parts, she placed them in the basin with the murky water, contemplating throwing the vessel out later. Casting a quick glance to Morgiana who had yet to move, then, as quickly as she came, she left.

“I just want you to know,” Sahsa stopped in the doorway, “That Leila’s really working hard to change her life around!” She smiled before letting the curtain flap close.

Leaving Aladdin to ponder her words in the moonlit room.

“I guess I’ll have to see.”

* * *

_ Two months before Amon _

_ Leila cackled, holding up her catch for the day, watching with stars in her eyes as the metal glinted in the sunlight. Having nicked an exquisite silver choker right off that clueless woman's neck with some kind of engraving on it, and snagged a golden flute from within the lady’s voluminous robes. She would have gone for the jingling coin pouch but those folds of fabric had more dead ends and false passages inside of extra pockets than the most well built royal tomb. _

_ Seriously, how did that woman get dressed in the morning without getting lost with that many pockets? _

_ It didn’t matter now, Leila could barely remember what the dumb broad looked like. All she could think about was how much she could haggle these beauties for. Some rich tit would probably pay top dollar for this quality metalwork. _

_ “Maybe I can buy a house with this!” She happily sang to herself as she skipped down the alleyways on cloud nine. _

_ So happy she didn’t notice her irate former mark that she had just stolen from, falling on her ass as a result, the woman was like a brick wall and didn’t budge an inch. _

_ “Hey, watch where you’re go-ing...” Leila looked up into the nauseatingly sweet smile on the woman's face. _

_ The tall woman standing over her made three tsk noises in quick succession, like a parent or older sibling scolding a child. Which to be fair, she was. “Ah, Okya,” ‘Okya’ being the fake name Leila had told the blue-themed woman while she weaved her sob story. “I’m so glad I found you, I seem to be missing some ‘key’ items,” She looked to where Leila was clutching the stolen goods in her hands, the blonde quickly hiding the evidence behind her as if the towering woman hadn’t just seen them. “You wouldn’t have happened to see or pick them up, hmm?” She asked sweetly, slightly cocking her head to the side as she smiled innocently. _

_ “Ah…” Leila tried to think of a lie fast, “nope!” She said, you know, like a liar. “Hey,” She exclaimed, pointing somewhere behind the woman who seemed to take up the whole alleyway with her presence. “What’s over there!” The age-old strategy of point and run never failed. _

_ Except now, as Leila weaved through the familiar alleys of her home city, knocking over crates and garbage to slow the woman’s pursuit. But no matter how fast she ran, no matter what turn she made, no matter what was thrown to block the woman, the terror in blue was just around the corner. Her shadow looming on the wall like something out of a horror story. _

_ “Oh~kya!” The woman sang in a high pitched voice, creepily calling for the girl. “Come out come out wherever you are!” _

_ Ducking down into a dead-end, Leila ripped up the small covering of a manhole before squeezing through. No way could this creep follow her now. _

_ Peeking her head up to watch through the bars of a storm drain, the long blue robes of the woman passing by, ethereal and floating an inch above the ground. But she passed, calling out for the fake name she was given before rounding the next corner. _

_ Leila waited with bated breath for five minutes, fingers turning white as she gripped the cold metal of her catch. But nothing came around the corner, not even a rat or a piece of trash blowing by. Collapsing on the wall and sliding down to the floor, she let out a deep relieved sigh. _

_ “Looks like my luck is turning around!” _

_ “Now which-” Leila stood up, running through a map of the city streets and the sewer entrances she’d used before when the ground shook, light from the sun searing her retinas where the tunnel had been blown wide open a fair distance away from her. _

_ “Find her! Look in every nook and cranny, scour every pool of festering filth and bring her to me!” _

_ The woman was absolutely enraged, Leila was paralyzed by the waves of murderous intent that carried on the wind and bit into her flesh. Only able to stagger back when the sound of a million frenzied insect wings beating against the wind. “You gotta be kidding me.” Leila whimpered, a cloud of flying insects so thick they blocked the meager amount of light that came down into the sewer. Taking off at a sprint to stay ahead of the chitinous cloud. _

_ The sound of hissing and the hum of wings was so loud she couldn’t hear her own footsteps or the roar of her own blood in her ears. _

_ She couldn’t think with the noise, an aggressive thrum that made the air vibrate with the wingbeats of a million angry bugs. _

_ It was impossible to see in this darkness, so she smashed straight into a wooden door. _

_ “Come on come on come on!” She screeched, her cries drowned out by the cacophonous swarm, yanking on the door handle before giving up to bang on the wood. The noise grew louder and louder as the swarm flew closer. About to bear down on her when she found herself once more on the ground. _

_ “Are you okay?” Someone asked, or more exactly yelled to be heard over the sound of the swarm. _

_ “Close the door, close the door, close the door!” She screamed, pushing against the solid wood with a satisfying thunk. _

_ “What’re you-” _

_ Her savior began but was cut off when the solid mass of insects collided with the door. The sound of a million scraping limbs making quick work of the wood as they borrowed their way through while the rest of the swarm continued to apply pressure and force the wood to bulge out. _

_ “This way!” Her savior, a girl dressed in green robes dragged Leila behind her. _

_ “Sahsa, there you are, quick we need to go, something’s happening.” An elderly man grabbed the tan girl by her shoulders, assessing her for injuries. “Who’s this?” _

_ “I don’t know, she was in trouble and I just helped her-” _

_ “Yes yes, quickly into the cart.” The man lifted the girl, Sahsa, up onto one of the caravan carts, running to the front and hopping up into the driver's seat, cracking the whip, and setting the skittish animals running, the cart moving with a lurch. _

_ “Quickly!” Sahsa called out, holding a hand out for Leila to grab. _

_ She was about to wave it off and head back to the city to find a safe place to hide when she saw the massive column of insects rise into the air, the flowing robes of what she knew to be the person she stole from riding atop the massive geyser of scuttling bodies. Running after the cart, Leila grabbed on to the offered limb, getting pulled into the cart beside her where she quickly moved for more coverage. _

_ Through one of the tent flaps, she saw the spire of insects crash down on the poor people below like a tsunami, washing through the streets as people screamed in panic. _

_ “I’m Sahsa, by the way.” _

_ The girl who saved her having moved to sit beside her, huddled behind barrels as if that would save her from the chaos she caused. _

_ “Leila.” She returned, taking the offered hand and shaking it. Far too out of it to question anything that had been going on. “Say, you don’t, happen, to need any extra hands do you?” Tucking the cause of all this madness in a pocket for later. _

_ Maybe it was time to turn over a new leaf. _

* * *

“Uh, huh, oof,” Aladdin huffed, falling in a sweaty clump of fabric and limbs. It had been four weeks since the incident and the moment Aladdin could move she began her own form of physical therapy. Going for a jog in the early hours of the morning, accompanied by an overly concerned Morgiana. Next, she would work in the kitchens or around the campfire and cook nonstop for the entire caravan. Afterwards, she began a grueling workout using whatever was available, often carrying loads of goods as quickly as she could between the stalls and the main caravan.

So by the end of the day, it was an understatement to say she was exhausted.

The three girls could only watch and wonder if she hadn’t died, tempted to poke the exhausted woman with a stick to make sure she was alive. But Sahsa and Leila were in no situation to do much more than find the nearest furniture or surface to collapse upon themselves. It had been one of the hotter desert days, and a recent monsoon had made it hellishly humid. So even just trying to sell their ways to equally miserable buyers had become an arduous task.

The only one not as affected was Morgiana who only had a slight sheen of sweat to show for her troubles, despite being the one who arguably worked the hardest.

“Mogiana,” Aladdin groaned from her spot on the floor, face down, “I leave the task of finding Alibaba to you. I don’t think I can go on.”

“Aladdin-sama…” The fanalis girl moved to help the near delirious woman up and onto a cushioned chair.

“This sucks!” Leila moaned loudly, too tired to hide from Aladdin who herself was too tired to give the blonde hell. “Eurgh!” Leila made a noise of disgust, “What smells?”

“...oh, it’s me…”

“You know,” Sahsa fanned herself, begging God for a slight breeze, heck, even a fly buzzing around her head would have been a relief from this infernal heat and humidity. “I think I saw a public bath somewhere in the town.”

The idea floated around before all three of the women raised their hands and groaned “to the baths” in unison. Leaving a confused Morgiana to parrot the three’s statement in bewilderment. “Baths?”

* * *

“Ahh, that feels so much better!” Sahsa exclaimed with a smile, the cool water washing away all the day's woes.

“Yeah!” Lella answered in kind, sinking beneath the water and letting out a stream of happy bubbles.

“Hey hey, Morgiana, hurry up! The water’s nice!” Sahsa called out to Morgiana.

The poor fanalis girl was out of her element, having been dragged here much to her confusion and not understanding how the luxuries of the bath worked. Honestly, she didn’t feel like this luxury should be spent on her, really she didn’t want to trouble anyone after all they’d done for her.

“Morgiana,” Aladdin surprised the younger girl who whipped around to see her, quickly turning away with a blush when she saw that Aladdin wasn’t wearing anything. “Don’t you want to get into the bath?” Subconsciously, Mogiana tightened the towel wrapped around her torso, not having the confidence to put her body on display like Aladdin, not that she was ashamed of how she looked, but rather of showing her friends what she was.

“You’re not even wet.” Aladdin tsked, gently guiding Morgiana towards a set of buckets and faucets on the far wall. “Come, sit, I’ll do you.” Turning the knobs on one of the faucets and letting cool water gather in one of the buckets under the spout, pulling a ladle from somewhere and dunking it under the water. “This really takes me back, you know.”

“I’m sorry?” Morgiana quietly asked, noting the far off look on Aladdin’s face before said woman poured the water on Morgiana’s head, gently moving her long fingers along Morgiana’s scalp in soothing motions.

“Ah, my bad, I got a bit nostalgic for a second there, huh?” Aladdin said aloud, pulling an ornate silver comb out of thin air that she used to detangle Morgiana’s hair. “So smooth,” Aladdin absentmindedly noted.

Morgiana let the comments slide, letting Aladdin work a new form of magic that kneaded out the kinks in her muscles. Enjoying the silence while Aladdin worked, and letting her mind wander off into space. The smell of lotions and soaps wafting into her nostrils, sweet flowers, and oily fruit. The cascade of water that washed away the suds pulling her back to earth.

“Don’t you feel better now?” Aladdin smiled, getting a curt nod from Morgiana in reply. “Now,” Aladdin nodded in direction to the open-air baths where the sound of laughter and splashing could be heard. “Why don’t you go join your friends and I’ll be in shortly.” She said while sitting down on a free stool and began the arduous task of untying her long braid.

“Is someone going to do you?”

“I sure hope so!” Aladdin laughed as she turned the bucket over above her head to douse herself, the joke flying over Morgiana’s head as she wondered what was so funny.

When Morgiana didn’t budge, Aladdin coughed into her fist while she regained her composure. Long strands fell in a waterfall of blue hair that obscured her back and gathered in a pile on the floor. “It’s fine, Morgiana, go have fun.” She nodded once more towards the curtain before she began to comb her hair out, humming softly to herself as she worked.

Morgiana didn’t know what to do. On the one hand, Aladdin had indicated that it was time for her to join the others in the main bath. But on the other, wouldn’t it be rude to leave Aladdin alone and not return the favor?

Spotting the soaps and lotions that Aladdin had previously used on her, Morgiana made a snap decision and picked them up, thrusting one of the bottles into Aladdin’s face. “Is this the one for hair?” She asked bluntly.

Aladdin blinked, looking at the bottle for a good second before she registered what Morgiana was attempting. “The blue one,” She nodded to said colored bottle in Morgiana’s hold with a smile.

Putting the others down, Morgiana squished a liberal amount out by accident, not quite knowing how much was enough. Taking the glob, she began to work it into Aladdin’s scalp, trying to imitate the same soothing motions Aladdin had used but put a bit too much strength into it.

“You know, I appreciate the effort, Morgiana, but I at this rate I might go bald before I hit thirty.” Aladdin laughed while Morgiana nearly leaped back in a mixture of shock and shame. Watching as Aladdin pulled up one of the buckets and doused herself, the suds washing down a drain in a lazy swirl.

With a practiced swirl of her hand, Aladdin gathered a large loop of her hair and expertly knotted it so it wouldn’t drag on the floor. “Shall we.” She indicated towards the bath, holding her hand out for Morgiana.

“I- I think I’ll wait a bit more. I don’t want to disturb their fun.”

The look Aladdin gave her was strange, her blue eyes darting up and down Morgiana’s nearly naked form. A mix of confused befuddlement and amusement, like she was trying to solve the most interesting puzzle. A lightbulb went off when she noticed Morgiana trying to hide the scars on her ankles by hiding one leg behind the other and holding them in a way to mitigate the visibility of the markings.

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to.” Aladdin assured her, “But I think your friends would very much enjoy you joining them.” She indicated towards the baths.

As if on cue, Leila and Sahsa both called out for her.

“Morgiana! Come on!”

But still, she hesitated, shuffling from foot to foot and holding the towel tighter to her body.

“I know I’d like it.” The woman assured her with a gentle look in her eyes, pulling the stunned girl along behind her while Morgiana complied, albeit a bit hesitantly.

_ Oh yeah, _ Morgiana thought to herself,  _ Aladdin must have scars too. _ She noted when she saw the still red puckered flesh of Aladdin’s wounds.

“Morgiana!” Leila glomped onto the redhead. Aladdin and her having made a temporary truce over whatever the problem was for the day. “Come on, the water feels so nice on your skin! Apparently it's got these minerals that are super good for your it and will help make it glow! Come on come on come on!” The blonde pulled her along, raving more about the water as the duo descended the stairs.

“Aren’t you going to join?” Sahsa asked Aladdin who stood by the lip of the large bath. The girl was lightly drying herself off with a fluffy white towel.

“I would but,” Aladdin motioned to the wounds on her back, sitting on the edge and dipping her feet into the cool water.

“Ah.”

* * *

Sinbad sneezed in his room aboard his personal ship, trying to focus on the paperwork before him. Ja’far, Masrur, and himself had only just started their journey to Balbadd about two months ago, being waylaid by other matters of importance and then having their correspondence with the kings postponed by the powers of bureaucracy. To say he was irritated was an understatement.

When Ja’far had first told him the information on the situation he had imagined much more… he didn’t know! Adventure, fighting, courtly intrigue, a certain blue-haired Magi he hadn’t seen in over two years, something!

But nothing!

So here he sat in his luxurious suite, surrounded by fine dining and wine, his friends in the rooms adjacent, and the promise of a city beleaguered by a growing bandit movement on the distant horizon!

And.

He.

Was.

Bored.

“Argh!” Sinbad groaned, banging his head on the table.

“If you’re so bored my king, why don’t you finish the paperwork then and I shall bring you something else to occupy your time with.” The menacing voice of his royal advisor Ja’far spoke from behind him.

When had he entered? Did he come through the window? Sinbad hadn’t heard the door open.

Whatever. Slapping his palms on the sturdy wood of his desk, Sinbad stood up and walked towards the cabinet where he knew the wine was stored.

He was most definitely not throwing a tantrum.

He was just about to get a bottle when one of Ja’far’s rope darts snaked past his arm, embedding itself in the wood.

“Oi! Watch where you're throwing things! I could have been-” It was a mistake to turn around.

Ja’far stood with a saccharine smile on his face, his other hand rubbing the unused dart blade. “My, my,” he said, “Desperate times do call for desperate measure, my king.”

“Oi, Ja’far…” Sinbad started, backing up and realizing he was cornered. Behind him, wine, in front of him, slight death with a side of not so pleasant pain.

Said promiser of death and pain jerking his arm to retrieve the dart he had embedded in the cabinet. Muttering under his breath, “desperate times indeed.” as he measured in his head how much rope he would need.

“Ja’far!”

* * *

It was no wonder Balbadd was struggling with the amount of bureaucracy and gatekeeping the docks and wharfs of Balbadd were using to keep unapproved foreign vessels away. Despite being the king of Sindria, he was not allowed off his ship to even stretch his legs. The dockmaster having “lost” his paperwork on several occasions.

At best it would be about two months before they could have a general meeting with the kings. Hopefully, they’d officially be off the boat before then.

If it wasn’t for Ja’far and Masrur, Sinbad probably would have caused a national incident by now. The king absentmindedly fingered the hilt of his sword, feeling the arcane power that lay just beneath the surface, tempted to go for a flight and possibly barge into the palace himself. It wouldn’t be the first international incident he had caused, but it would probably be the last if word got back to Ja’far.

So now the conqueror of the seven seas sat behind his desk, having run out of paperwork to sign and now left to doodle on stationary, drawing two stick figures holding hands, one with a long braid holding a curved staff and the other with a ponytail wielding a sword wreathed in lightning. The sound of the door creaking open alerting him to someone, probably Ja’far, entering the morose king’s quarters.

“I’m assuming they’re not letting us depart anytime soon?” Sinbad questioned, glancing up to see Ja’far’s pensive face. He knew that face, it meant something bad on potentially a national scale. “What is it?” He asked, slipping into king mode seamlessly in an instant.

Ja’far looked like he was choking on a lemon as he carefully thought how to word his report, not quite believing what Yamuraiha had conveyed to him from their network. Slipping into a bow with a deep sigh. “We've received confirmation of Aladdin previously leading a group into the dungeon Amon in Qishan. We then learned that from our spies that have intercepted reports from Kou that Aladdin was spotted leading one of the Kou generals successfully through a dungeon after raising it all in one night.” Ja’far dutifully reported.

The Sindrian King’s hands clenching in agitation as he tried to make sense of Aladdin’s motives. Why the sudden jump from the desert trade hub of Qishan to the border of Kou? And why the dungeons, something didn’t add up here.

“Do we know who the conquerors were?”

“We know the Kou general was the eighth imperial princess, Ren Hakuei, and we believe that the conqueror of Amon was someone by the name of Alibaba.”

_ Alibaba, why did that ring a bell _ .

Sinbad wished more than anything for the Magi to be once more by his side and to share with him her innermost secrets. If she would only trust in him, lean on him, he could help her.

The ugly green beast of jealousy rearing its ugly head. The shades of new players rising on the edges of the board threatened to bind Aladdin to them. The festering creature whispering one name Sinbad hated with a passion. The one man who was privy to Aladdin’s council and her motives. The only person who she would put any stock into their opinions and beliefs without question.

_ Yunnan. _

“Was there any other information related to the dungeon the Kou general conquered?”

It wouldn’t be the first time Aladdin had gone along with the antisocial Magi’s plans to prop up king vessels. Sassan and Artymyra being prime examples of the old man using Aladdin to do his dirty work. That only left one question. Why Kou?

“Ah,” Ja’far seemed caught off guard, “Not that I’m aware of, but I’ll request the full report immediately. Do you suspect a third party involved, Sin?” Looking at his king who sat staring at his desk in concentration, hoping the poorly drawn effigy of Aladdin might write out the answers he so desperately sought.

“Ja’far,” Sinbad began, the royal advisor making a noise of confirmation that he had heard his King. “Tell me everything we know about this Kou general, and find me specifics on why Aladdin was focused around Qishan, there’s something about this, Alibaba, that doesn’t quite sit right.”

“Understood,” The pale man moved to get to work, mentally rifling through all the cabinets and folders the reports and profiles were kept away for safekeeping. Knowing he would have to send a requisition back to Sindria for more detailed information.

About to leave through the door he came through when he heard Sinbad request one more thing, “And make sure to add everything we have on Balbadd. I want to be out of here as swiftly as possible. It’s high time we find out what Aladdin’s been up to.”

“It will be done.” The assassin bowed before he moved to fulfill his orders. Leaving the purple-haired king to observe the map hanging above the wall behind him, trying to connect the dots between Aladdin’s recent appearances. Feeling the familiar waves of fate beginning to converge on him once more and point to Balbadd.

“What are you thinking, Aladdin?”

* * *

It had been six months since Morgiana had left Qishan to start her journey, four since she had met Aladdin and nearly died, and in a few hours, they’d split from their friends in the caravan to go their separate ways to Balbadd.

So in the meantime, while they remained with the caravan Morgiana sat in the back of one of the carts with Aladdin, watching the Magi deftly push a needle in and out of the white cloth that once was her magic veil. A small well of guilt washing over her as she remembered the shoddy piece she had torn off to act as an impromptu tunicate. The woman must have used some sort of magic, having recovered enough to reliably cast spells after weeks of recovery and physical therapy, as the red stains of blood had vanished. The pure white of the cloth was slowly being pulled back together, the patchwork of tears vanishing as Aladdin smoothed it over, whispering something under her breath while a faint light emanating from the cloth.

“And… done!” She smiled, whipping the fabric out, and surveying it for any missed spots.

Morgiana was amazed as it looked good as new, better even. The fabric held a crisp white color that glowed in the shade of the wagon cover. Geometric floral designs snaked their way along the edge, a few new additions added in the form of tiny birds that fluttered through the threaded vines.

“And just in time.” Aladdin quipped as the wagon came to a halt, jostling the women in the back as Aladdin whipped it around and secured it in place. The two departing with Morgiana helping Aladdin down, her wounds may have healed but she had her moments, often moaning like an old woman when she had to bend or sit down.

“Thank you, Morgiana.”

“Mhm.”

“It should be just over these hills, a two days walk normally, however…” The elderly caravan leader trailed off as he looked at Aladdin who smiled blissfully. “Are you sure you don’t want to stay with us a little longer, another caravan might be going that way later, once you’re fully recovered.” He offered, scratching the back of his head.

“Ah, no, we’ve already used up enough of your kindness. Besides, we have a friend to find anyways, take care!” Aladdin waved off the man’s concerns before turning towards the trail that led to the seaside city of Balbadd. A gust of cooling sea wind making its way across the hills to gently flutter her robes and veil.

“Aladdin! Morgiana!” Sahsa's voice made them halt as they turned to see her running towards them, a reluctant Leila in tow “Here!” She thrust a bag into Morgiana’s arms, the fanalis girl taking a bewildered step back as she wasn’t expecting anything.

“Promise you’ll be safe, Morgiana, and promise we’ll see you again!” The caravan trader held Morgiana’s hands. The poor girl could only hum in agreement while her brain worked feverishly to catch up.

“Oi, Leila,” Sahsa pushed her friend forwards when she noticed the blonde dragging her foot through the dirt. The blonde wasn’t expecting it and stumbled until she found her bearings, coming face to face with Aladdin who was staring down at the thief-turned-trader with a cold fire in her eyes.

Averting her eyes, Leila looked to the side, scratching her cheek as she tried to figure out what to say. Wanting to make things right but not used to, well, apologizing. “Here,” She thrust two clothed items forward for the taller woman to take. Morgiana glanced curiously at the metal objects that Aladdin took from the girl, a golden flute and a silver choker that glinted in the sunlight. Hiding the flute in the folds of her robes before she secured the choker around her neck, holding her head high as she stared down imperiously at the squirming teen.

Sahsa had an exasperated look, shoving Leila to continue. “I’m sorry, it was wrong of me to take those and I hope you can forgive me.” She looked at the ground.

Aladdin snorted before turning on her heel and marching on towards Balbadd.

“Oi, Aladdin, didn’t you hear Leila! She said she’s-”

“Sorry?” Aladdin finished for her, coming to a stop. “I heard.” She looked over her shoulder, clearly not yet ready to forgive the girl. Letting out a sigh when she saw the girls were taken aback by the abrupt coldness Aladdin.

“Huuhhhh.” Aladdin sighed, “Listen up,” She swirled around and pointed a finger at Leila, “What you did was wrong and inexcusable,” The blonde object of her ire turning a shade of red as she looked at her feet, “But with that said, you worked to make it right, albeit at the last second, and I can see you’ve worked hard to change.” She smiled gently at Leila who was looking a bit tearful as Aladdin approached her, cupping her chin to make eye contact. “So I guess all's well that ends well, neh?” And with that she went on her way, waving over her shoulder in farewell.

Cheers of farewell and well wishes following behind them as they entered the coastal forest that lay on the border of the city-state.

Morgiana walked a little bit behind Aladdin, listening to the woman hum as they traveled, holding the bag given to her by Sahsa in her hands, not knowing what to do with it. So after about an hour of traveling, she opened the bag, a bunch of apples falling to the ground with a dull thunk along with the metal clinking of coins. The fanalis girl quickly worked to gather them all up, not even knowing what she would do with them.

“Wow, this is a pretty good amount of money!” Aladdin surmised as she helped Morgiana sort the items, snagging one of the apples and taking a bite, juice dribbling down her chin before she wiped at it with her sleeve. “You’ve really got some good friends there, Morgiana, we’ll have to find them again later and pay them a visit.”

It felt good, the words Aladdin said that acknowledged her having friends, something she’d never had before, not until-

“Aladdin,”

“Hmm?”

“Are we- are we friends?”

“Of course we are!” The woman actually looked a little offended by Morgiana’s question. “You’re like a precious little sister to me!” In a second she glomped onto the stunned smaller girl, holding her close in a bone-crushing hug despite her lingering injuries. “You’ve got me, and Sahsa, and Leila, and Alibaba-kun!” She listed off the names of people she knew while she swayed with Morgiana in her hold.

That niggling thought in Morgiana’s head came back as Aladdin came up with more names.

“Goltas, and Yousif, and Amir, and-”

“Do you have friends?”

It was an honest question that Morgiana was curious about. Here was a woman, traveling by herself, going into dungeons, Magi or not, all by herself. In the months of traveling with Aladdin Morgiana had only heard a handful of names she didn’t recognize. Where was Aladdin from? Why was she invested in Alibaba so much? Surely a sorcerer of creation had better things to do than find a freed slave girl and help some random teen off the streets of Qishan, right?

“Of course I have friends,” And then she started listing them, “There’s Sinbad, you, Alibaba, Masrur, Yam-chan, Yunan, Lo’lo, I think…” Tapping her fingers as she pulled out the names of pretty much everyone she’d ever met. “Some of them are even fanalis!”

That surprised Morgiana, except, it really shouldn’t. Aladdin had been unsurprised by her attacks in Amon and much more familiar with certain aspects of Morgiana.

  
“Would you like to meet them?” Aladdin smiled down at Morgiana, temporarily blinding the girl with how she shined. “I know Lo’lo is in Reim at the moment, Reim’s actually got a whole division in their army made of fanalis. Then Masrur is in Sindria usually…” Aladdin tried to remember where more fanalis she had seen were currently in the world, “And then I’d guess you’d have to go to the dark continent to see the rest, you’ll probably meet Yunan then.”

“Have you been to the dark continent, Aladdin-sama.”

“Mhm, I actually have a house in the great rift, though mostly Yunan lives in it.”

“What’s it like there, the dark continent?”

“Let’s see, it's got big trees that try and block out the sky, and then it has some of the most ferocious animals in the world, lions as big as a horse, elephants the size of large hills, crocodiles that could sink a ship!” The woman continued to describe the ginormous and terrifying creatures of Morgiana’s ancestral home, a lot of it probably embellished for storytelling purposes. “Do you wanna go there Morgiana?” She smiled at the fanalis girl who was busy imagining the scenario Aladdin described.

“Hai.”

“Then we’ll have to go once we find Alibaba-kun, neh?”

“Hai.”

“Then let’s-”

“Aladdin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who were wondering what the spell Aladdin used in the last chapter was, it roughly translates to my bastardized Arabic as double heat blazing sun, but that doesn't sound as cool so I'm keeping it Har-har Alsham.
> 
> The next chapter will be mostly from Sinbad's perspective and we finally get to explore the new relationship between him Aladdin and the generals.


	10. His Name is Sinbad

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinbad finally appears!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex scene at the beginning and Sinbad's a perve.

_Sinbad moaned into Aladdin’s mouth as he kissed her, pinning her under him while his hands roved over her smooth skin. One hand came up and worked to undo her characteristic braid while the other pulled her closer, lining her entrance up with his erect cock. Eventually, he managed to undo it all, taking the moment to lean back and gaze down his handiwork, at her naked and flushed form, to forever burn the image into his memory._

_Long blue hair, longer than she was tall, splayed about her like a halo of sunlight. Her large blue eyes shined brighter than the most brilliant sapphires, as they glinted like jewels under the forest canopy. The king licked his lips as his eyes roved lower, soaking in the way her bruised lips took in every eep breath, the way her alabaster skin flushed red with arousal from her cheeks to her chest. Feeling his cock twitch in excitement as he watched in delight as her large breasts heaved with every breath she took._

_It was painful, a deep desiring hunger that forever gnawed at his core, how much he wanted her, to possess her every thought and always have her eyes on him. Gently moving her chin to look into her wanton eyes, emblazing the way she coyly smiled in the throes of passion onto the back of his eyelids._

_Arching his back, he latched on to one of her perky nipples, swirling the peak with his tongue and enjoying the taste of her. One of his hands came up to fondle and play with the other as he continued to pull her closer to him, to flush her body with his and soak up as much of her as he could. Enjoying the feel of her soft supple flesh against his calloused palm, feeling the peak rise in arousal under his touch. Letting up the assault with his mouth only to latch on to the other, lavishing the attention she so deserved every day onto the other breast._

_Aladdin arched her back in response, encouraging him to keep going, pushing more of her into Sinbad who responded in kind by putting more of his weight on her, trying to dominate the flow of their coitus with his larger and stronger body. The friction from their tête-à-tête sending jolts of pleasure up his erection and along his spine. His cock spurted small amounts of ejaculate, while his lips smiled around Aladdin’s breast, not letting up his assault for a second as he worked to prove himself._

_Finally, he let go, only to smash his lips against hers a moment later, their tongues locked in a battle of wills as they explored each other's mouths. His patience finally snapped as he began to angle himself towards her entrance before he entered, slowly, feeling her clench around his large girth and enjoying every moment of it, every electric thrill of pleasure and the satisfying sensation of their bodies finally becoming one._

_Setting a slow pace as he waited for Aladdin to adjust, her hips arching up in pleasure as she worked to match his rhythm. The purple-haired king going deeper and deeper into her blazing core, committing her moans and keening whines to memory._

_“Sin!”_

_So close._

_“Sin!”_

_“Say my name.” He whispered into her ear, not the endearing nickname from his early teens but his full name, pulling her leg up to better angle himself without slowing down a beat. He wanted to hear his name. Proof that she belonged to him._

_“Sin!”_

_So close. So close to release! Just once more._

_“Say it.” He begged, licking her neck and once more enjoying the taste as he sucked on the smooth skin, breaking the fragile blood vessels beneath and making it bloom brilliantly. A mark to the world that she was his and always would be._

_“Sin- HONK!”_

_Ehh?_

_“Honk, honk-honk!”_

_“Aladdin?”_

* * *

A sharp biting pain on his ass woke him from his erotic fantasy. Swiping his hand to smack at the source of the irritation and swatting a warm feathery body, definitely not Aladdin. Now fully awake, he leaped into a fighting stance and came face to face with Balbadd’s most feared animal, the Balbaddian Royal Goose, a notoriously territorial avian. The creature never got the memo that the dinosaurs went extinct as it bared its fangs, yes fangs, like most geese the Balbaddian Royal Goose had teeth, and two of those teeth were specialized into what was analogous to fangs. The feathery menace had its wings spread in a threatening manner as it continued to honk, the red feathers of its body flared and ruffled as it tried to make itself bigger than it actually was.

Now fully awake, and still fully erect, Sinbad reached for his sword, the metal one, ready to turn this fowl creature into his next meal through the electric powers of Baal. But his sword wasn’t there. No matter, he’d freeze the intrusive interloper and serve it up later.

No Valefor.

Alright then how about Zepar and make it Foie Gras ala Balbadd at a later opportunity.

Nope.

Hands flying to his body and finding himself left vulnerable to the unforgiving forces of mother nature, in this case, one pissed off waterfowl that had it in for him. The aggressive avian moved to peck at his pecker which he now fully realized was not only displayed loud and proud, but stiff enough to fly a flag.

_Never thought I’d end up blue balled while fighting a goose!_ Sinbad thought as he dodged the hissing bird with teeth. Belatedly, he realized that this wasn’t his usual sleep stripping and that he might have been robbed as his metal vessels and even the shirt off his back was missing and not hanging on a nearby branch as he might have hoped.

_Ja’far is going to kill me._

So doing the smart thing, Sinbad made a tactical retreat, fully intent on coming back and making the green crested gander pay for its transgressions. The dignified king ran further into the undergrowth, the goose giving chase while he crashed through the low lying plants, brushing the short ferns and palms out of his path until he was sure he lost the bird.

Hands on his knees as he sucked in air, wondering if he should thank Solomon that he had escaped the dastardly clutches of the overgrown duck or curse him for making it in the first place. Either way, he was home free for now and trying to figure out what to do now, standing up to survey where he was and gather his bearings. He was atop a hill overlooking one of the back roads that lead to the seaside city. Speaking of which.

He couldn’t go into the city in the state he was in now. Well, he could but he’d probably get arrested for public indecency, and then Ja’far would kill him.

His best bet was to wait for a passing traveler and hopefully not get killed or scare them off. Or he could go back, face the glorious gander, and possibly find his stolen clothing and metal vessels. It would seem the former was his best bet, as just his luck he could hear voices approaching. 

From atop his vantage, he could spot two figures approaching in the distance, two women if he was hearing their voices accurately from this far away. But first, he needed to make himself presentable.

Luckily, or rather unluckily, this had not been his first time being naked in the wilderness. So with the ease that comes from years of experience, Sinbad fashioned a leaf to his family jewels, tying a vine to keep it in place.

Now ready to face the world, and hopefully woe the approaching women into giving him some spare clothes, Sinbad readied himself to descend the hillside.

Except, right before he took his first step on the road to recovery.

“HONK, HONK-HONK!”

The second or third most evil entity on Solomon’s green world burst out of the undergrowth in a furious frenzied mess of flapping wings, flailing webbed feet, and gnashing tooth-filled beak. Smashing into the back of Sinbad’s head with enough force to rival one of Masrur’s deadly punches.

Sinbad practically flew down the hill, pursued by the angry honking of the feathered devil, smashing every branch and fern on the way down, likely getting grass stains on his shapely ass as he tumbled down with the grace of a greased up orangutan sliding on a wet floor. Smashing into the first solid object on his way down and flipping into the air, gravity now fully taking over and plunging him down mercilessly.

The only reason he didn’t snap his neck was because something soft broke his fall. So he sat there moaning from his fall, except… it wasn’t him moaning.

“Uuuugggghhhh…” The feminine voice of his savior groaned in pain after being used by the airborne king to break his fall.

“Ah!” Sinbad shouted, sitting up and straddling his savior, not the best look but he was hoping that the situation that led to it would excuse him. “I’m terribly sorry about this but you see- Aladdin?!” His brain short-circuited when it finally realized who he was straddling. Thankfully he didn’t need to think for long as his reflexes kicked in, ducking low as the air whipped by his head from the force of the swing before he pivoted, picking Aladdin up into his arms and rolling out of the way. Ready to put himself between Aladdin and the dang- Was that a girl?

Correction, a fanalis girl. A fanalis girl who was staring at Sinbad with murder in her eyes as she readied another flying leap to where Sinbad’s head used to be.

Only through the years of facing dungeon monsters and fighting both with and against a fanalis was he able to dodge while still maintaining his hold on Aladdin.

“Ah, hey, this isn’t what it looks like! Just hear me out, ok-” He barely dodged the next kick by the skin of his teeth, nearly getting pinned by the falling tree that had taken the full force of the attack.

“Hold up, hold up I know what this must look like but-”

“Let go of Aladdin-sama!” The girl lunged again, letting loose a fury of attacks that Sinbad dodged by keeping space between himself and the enraged redhead, all the while holding Aladdin princess style in his arms. This would prove to be his downfall as his foot snagged on Aladdin’s veil, tripping him and putting him at the mercy of the enraged fanalis who was now ready to smash his head open with a boulder raised above her head.

Two seconds from becoming a splattered mural on the dusty road when his savior finally came to her senses. “Morgiana wait!” Aladdin shouted, stopping the girl, presumably Morgiana, from finishing her attack mere inches from Sinbad’s nose. Sinbad tightened his core as Aladdin sat up, placing a hand on the king’s chest as she rubbed at her throbbing head, blinking a bit as she slowly came to. Taking the time to crack her neck while the girl who had been attacking him hurriedly fretted back and forth to make sure the older woman was fine.

“Sinbad?!” She finally exclaimed after a good minute of using him as a cushion, not that he would ever complain. Quickly getting to her feet with some help from Morgiana before she helped to pull him up as well.

“Do you know this person, Aladdin-sama?” The girl, Morgiana, asked in a quiet but suspicious voice, looking for any excuse to send the former Parthevian into the atmosphere.

Aladdin gave a hum of confirmation before she slung an arm around the slightly taller man’s shoulders, holding her palm up as she introduced him. “Morgiana, I’d like you to meet Sinbad!” She beamed.

“Hah?” Morgiana asked in confusion, tilting her head to the side as she tried desperately to reconcile the naked man before her as a friend of Aladdin’s.

“Speaking of which,” Aladdin turned to Sinbad, looking at him with that wonderful smile of hers that spelled trouble. “Where are your clothes, Sinbad?”

“Ah, well, funny story-”

“They were stolen again, weren’t they?”

A low wind gusted by, kicking up dirt as the three stood motionless, letting the silence speak for itself.

“Tch, here.” Aladdin offered in monotone, taking off her veil and presenting it to the naked king, “I guess it can’t be helped.”  
  
“Aladdin-sama, are you sure? He could be a trick, or a monster in disguise!” The fanalis protested, getting into a fighting stance while Aladdin held out her veil for Sinbad to make himself presentable.

“No,” Aladdin said nonchalantly, giving the piece of fabric a delicate flick with her wrist. The white embroidered cloth weaved through the air and around Sinbad’s waist, folding in on itself as it became a pair of pants for the now no longer naked king to wear for the time being. “He’s Sinbad.” She smiled, her fond tone holding clear confidence in her decision as she looked at him. “I’d know that ass anywhere.” And with that bombshell for the young teen, she began walking once more towards Balbadd as if nothing had ever happened.

“There should be a clearing up ahead we can use to set up camp!” She called over her shoulder, long blue braid swaying in as she walked, giving Sinbad time to appreciate the calm with which Aladdin handled the situation. “Are you coming?” She asked, stopping to turn around with a quirk of her eyebrow, clearly expecting them to follow.

“Hai!” Sinbad responded, quickly closing the distance with long strides to catch up as he fell in step with the woman. Striking up a conversation about the local fauna while Morgiana stood dumbfounded in place watching them walk into the distance.

* * *

**_Earlier that day_ **

_Sinbad needed a drink, or several, and that’s what he was doing, drinking._

_Taking a swig from his eleventh bottle as he stumbled through the countryside._

_This was going the exact opposite of how he had hoped it would._

_Ja’far was keeping him under lock and key, not letting him out of the hotel when they had finally arrived. He only managed to escape by tying the sheets into a makeshift rope and climbing out the window. The Kings were using any and every excuse to postpone the meeting. The bandits had been lying low as the search for them by the military had been stepped up with both the arrival of Sinbad and the incoming Kou nobility, which had been a surprise, and Ja’far was already busy pulling up everything they had on who the royal was._

_And worst of all, Aladdin was still nowhere in sight!_

_He needed to lie down, maybe he’d be ready to face the rest of this disaster of a diplomatic visit after a nap._

* * *

“You’ll have to forgive Morgiana, We’ve just finished traveling through the desert and we’ve had quite the adventure,” Aladdin explained to Sinbad once they had established their camp for the night, about a day’s walk from Balbadd now. An old forest clearing a little ways from the main road. The three sat around a small fire that Sinbad noted with some joy had a rather specific bird roasting on a spit. The shirtless man sat on a mossy rock that jutted out of the ground while to his left Aladdin sat on a log, the still suspicious Morgiana peeking around the Magi to stare at Sinbad like he was about to sprout horns and a tail before absconding with Aladdin to his lair.

“Ah, that’s good for you Morgiana,” Sinbad said, turning the juicy goose above the fire so it would cook evenly. “Did you enjoy traveling with Aladdin?” He glanced at the girl from the corner of his eye to see her attention was now on Aladdin, her body language nervous as she bit her lip.

“For the most part.”

_Interesting. I wonder what happened._ Sinbad thought to himself, looking from Morgiana to Aladdin who was reminiscing with the young girl about some of the odd-looking desert plants they had seen while they traveled.

“That sense of euphoria from coming upon unknown lands and knowledge,” Sinbad spoke under his breath, reminiscing about a time where he was in Morgiana’s stead traveling the world and making friends. “The confidence that comes from opening up paths, the experience, the bond between friends you’d risk your life for…” He decided the goose was well enough cooked as he removed it from the spit, staring into the fire with a faraway look in his eyes.

“Sounds like someone feels left out.” Aladdin teased, poking him in his exposed ribs.

“What can I say? Adventures are great. It’s truly every man’s dream.” He looked at the smiling face of Aladdin, thinking he might not have been as quiet as he thought he was when he spoke out loud. Morgiana had an awed look in her eyes, slowly breaking out of her earlier hesitation. And as Aladdin began chatting the awe-struck girl’s ear off, Sinbad couldn’t help but think he was more jealous of who Morgiana was traveling with than the teen’s first adventure from home. Watching as Aladdin laughed when Morgiana brought up something funny involving her, a watermelon, and a stubborn camel.

The smell of the goose was beginning to waft into all of their noses, making their stomach grumble from their long day of traveling. So with little ceremony, they dug in. Sinbad, with some vindication, tore off a leg for Aladdin who handed the juicy limb to Morgiana, then she pulled out a knife from somewhere in her bottomless robes and handed it to Sinbad. Now armed, the king made quick work of the rest of the bird.

“You want the breast, yeah?” He asked Aladdin, not so subtly glancing at her own prominent set as he handed her a slice of the tender meat.

“Thank you!” She took the offered piece from Sinbad, skewering it on a sharp stick that had been whittled beforehand. Taking a bite and exclaiming, “delicious” as juice dribbled down her chin.

“Ah, you got a bit on you,” Sinbad said, watching as Aladdin wiped at her face to get rid of the dribbling fat. “Here.” He offered, taking a piece of spare cloth to dab at the fat that had slid down her throat and threatened to escape down into her boobs.

“Thanks!” She smiled appreciatively at him before continuing with her evening meal, gushing at the flavor while Sinbad watched with a smile. Soon becoming aware of his own audience as he glanced at the knowing look of Morgiana who had finished with her piece, snapping the bone with ease as she maintained eye contact. Knowing he was caught, Sinbad chose to busy himself by taking a large chunk of the goose leg he was holding, making obvious chewing motions to establish his innocence.

Morgiana wasn’t buying it as she sucked the marrow from the bone but dropped the subject thankfully, now determined to keep a closer eye on the suspicious man she had only met earlier that day.

The rest of the night spent in idle chit chat, with Aladdin and Sinbad working in tandem to regale the amazed Morgiana with stories of adventure and excitement, most from when the two would go adventuring together deep into dungeons, or the legendary fights Sinbad would inevitably have with a ruling monarch that was also a dungeon capturer.

But as the night wore on, they eventually decided to turn in. Aladdin propping herself against a tree trunk that jutted at a comfortable angle, offering to take the first watch which Sinbad knew from experience just meant she’d sleep with her eyes open. Fine with him though as he lay down near the Magi, folding his arms under his head to act as a pillow while he gazed up at the stars through the forest canopy. Morgiana doing something similar on Aladdin's opposite side, curling inwards and facing the fire, or more specifically, Sinbad. Giving him one warning glare that would have made Ja’far proud before shutting her eyes. The steady rise and fall of her ribs signaling that she had fallen asleep, with Sinbad doing the same after giving Aladdin a quick glance to make sure she was still there and hadn’t taken the opportunity to vanish.

It did wonders for his frayed nerves to have her around.

* * *

The next morning, Sinbad was once more awakened from his pleasant dreams. But rather than it being evil incarnate, it was his own body telling him to wake up as the morning sun began to filter through the forest roof. And as he predicted, Aladdin never woke either of them up to take night watch. But what he hadn’t seen was that Aladdin would enter deep sleep, the kind where waking her up promised bodily harm. But he wasn’t complaining.

Why?

Because Aladdin would search out the nearest warm body in her unconscious state and cling to them like some blind koala, and this time, it was Sinbad.

He could sleep another five minutes, or hours, really it wasn’t the best thing to wake Aladdin up. Sharrkan could attest to that, even Ja’far was wary of waking the sleeping Magi before she was ready.

Best to just remain where he was, with Aladdin’s arms wrapped around his head and shoulders while she snuggled him closer into the heavenly blessing that was her chest, bringing him closer and closer to his fantasy. He could smell the soaps and lotions she used, the gentle scent of assorted flowers, and even the sheep’s milk fat she used as the base.

Nuzzling his face deeper into the alabaster valley and taking a deep breath of Aladdin, just enjoying the moment on this tranquil, beautiful morning.

Except much like the day before, this too had to end, abruptly and painfully.

It seemed Morgiana was also a morning person, having witnessed Sinbad’s opportune moment of weakness and was now using his side to test how long it would take for her to crush a grown man’s spine under her heel, the combination of her small feet and monstrous strength showed the promising results.

“Ow, Morgiana, ow, wait a minute!” Sinbad begged as quietly as he could, trying desperately to placate the outraged fanalis that was making quick work of tenderizing his organs. He wanted to say more but his struggling and pleading must have woke Aladdin up because the next moment he couldn’t breathe as Aladdin began to crush him in her embrace, digging her nails in, and trying to smother him with her boobs.

“Ah, Ah-Aladdin!” He choked out before his airway was blocked by her pillowy bosom, his spine barely holding out on the python-like force of Aladdin’s crushing embrace as she actually growled at him, and his ribs and organs long gone as Morgiana continued to grind her heel into his side.

* * *

Morgiana heavily doubted this man was king. His initial nudity aside, he did not act like a king. His actions this morning proved that as he used Aladdin-sama’s vulnerable state to his advantage. And then there was the way he would stare at the Magi whenever he thought no one was looking, something devious glinting in the corner of his eyes that Morgiana just couldn’t shake the feeling of, especially as that mischievous gaze had the tendency to linger a little lower than was socially acceptable.

So, for now, she was standing behind Aladdin in the event the shady man tried to do anything.

But so far he had learned his lesson and was keeping a respectable, albeit a little too friendly, distance from Aladdin. The two walked side by side, with Sinbad resting his head in his arms as he walked, chatting casually with the woman about the affairs in the supposed country he supposedly ruled.

Morgiana wasn’t buying it. But the only doubt she had was because Aladdin put stock in the man’s claims so for now, she said nothing.

A wind blew past, cool and smelling of salt, ruffling the party's hair and clothes as it moved past them and into the trees. It was unlike anything Morgiana had ever smelled before. So against her better judgment, she hurried past the two adults to climb the hill.

“We should be able to see the ocean from beyond the hill.” Someone, Sinbad, said behind her. He and Aladdin were smiling, knowing she was about to see the ocean for the first time and Aladdin gave a gentle nod of encouragement for Morgiana to hurry on ahead and witness the vast ocean for the first time in her life. The girl wasted no time in running up the hill, kicking up dust as she went, and cresting the top quickly.

The sight took her breath away.

The ancient colorful masonry of Balbadd lay before her in an organized sprawl, branching streets running every which way through the port city with intersecting canals that lead to the open ocean. People were already busy in the early morning of the city, setting up shop and bargaining their wares while seabirds crowed overhead as they headed out to see or looked for an easy meal. Children ran through the streets while women chatted in the shade of restaurants and cafes. Men with salt in their peppered beards shouting out about their wares trying to be heard over their competitors. And beyond the rocky outcroppings that protected the maritime cities harbors lay the ocean. A vast body of water that glistened like a million jewels in the sun and stretched father beyond the eye could see.

And somewhere out there, on the cast blue surface that encompassed the globe, stood the lands and countries of fantastic detail in Aladdin’s stories. The rocky mountains of Sassan, the winding vineyard hills of Reim, and the frozen wastes of the Imachukk tribe. The Dark Continent, so vast and mysterious in some parts it swallowed the sun lay out there on that blue mirror-like surface. Known only to travelers like Aladdin and the gulls that flew on the wind.

“This is…” Morgiana looked for the word to describe it, she knew its name but it was just so… new to her. So unlike the messy spiraling streets of Qishan that had practically been built around the dungeon Amon.

“The great coastal nation, Balbadd.” Sinbad finished for her.

“What do you think, Morgiana?” Aladdin asked, placing a hand on her shoulder and leaning down beside her with a happy smile.

* * *

Made up of several hundred islands, big and small, the port city that shared its nation name served as its capital, the Kingdom Balbadd. Between the oasis cities to the north, smaller nations to the northeast, and the Parthevian and Leam Empires to the West across the sea. The country has flourished as the center of sea commerce since ancient times. Unrivaled in economic power until the rise of the Reim Empire two hundred years ago, and his own country of Sindria more recently. For generations, the nation had been ruled by the royal blood of the Saluga family who promoted the country's interests.

But now, as Sinbad saw more and more people huddled in the back alleys hunched over themselves, he began to wonder if that sentiment still held true. Trying to steer Aladdin and Morgiana away from the more dangerous streets he could pick out. He was glad to see Aladdin hadn’t changed in the two years she’d been gone, watching her as she jumped from stall to stall and explained in detail to Morgiana where the items on display came from.

The fanalis girl seemed interested at a glance but it was evident to anyone who paid enough attention that she only showed interest because Aladdin was showing it off with childlike wonder.

But as they traveled through the city, it became harder and harder to deny that things had worsened dramatically for the people of Balbadd. Starved figures now sat on their stoops, waiting for anything to do, for something to come along so that they might survive. Most indifferent to the three somewhat shabby travelers passing through, but a few eyed them as they passed. Sinbad made sure to note these ones and pay attention to their flank.

The three soon found themselves walking along one of the canals after Sinbad had had enough and convinced them to retire to a more… safer part of the city. Graffiti and trash lined the walls or floated in the slow-moving stream. Even here people slumped against the walls, like corpses with some life yet in them.

“Overthrow the monarchy?” Aladdin read one of the walls, slowing her pace to fall beside Sinbad as they walked so that Morgiana wouldn’t hear, glancing at the man from the corner of her eye to elaborate.

Making sure Morgiana was still more occupied with what was in front of her rather than behind, he obliged his friend's unasked request. A bit surprised the Magi didn’t know what with her near-omniscient knowledge in most of the affairs of the world.

“Ever since the death of Rashid, the country has been in a state of crisis.” He quickly elaborated, the two not saying anything more as they approached the turn they needed to take, Morgiana waiting patiently at the crossroads that would take them into one of the more well to do areas of the city.

“I’m assuming you're not on good terms with the royal family anymore?” Sinbad asked her as they approached the hotel he was staying at.

“Nope,” Aladdin responded, popping the p. In truth, Sinbad had only had dealings with the former king and he assumed Aladdin did as well. And if the current kings' reception of Sinbad was anything to go by, then he assumed the same reluctance to see him would have replied to a Magi like Aladdin.

Sensing an opportunity however to remain closer to the whimsical woman, Sinbad made his offer, knowing exactly which of Aladdin’s vices to prey on. “Then why don’t you two stay with me at the finest luxury hotel in the country?” He galloped ahead of the two, arms wide as he offered his hospitality to them. Already he could see Aladdin going soft at the thought of a soft bead and gourmet food she herself did not need to prepare. “I’ll foot the bill of course.” He winked at Aladdin and offered his hand for her to take, ignoring the glare Morgiana was once more directed at him. “Stay as long as you like!” And by ‘stay’ he meant with him, and by ‘as long’ he meant forever.

“Well aren’t you the rich man!” Aladdin jested, knowing full well Sinbad could buy the hotel and probably the whole city if he wanted to. Especially with how dire the city’s situation was.

* * *

It seemed for a brief moment, Morgiana was right about the man not being a king as the hotel guards swarmed him.

But that hope was quickly dashed when the irritating king was taken away by his advisors who seemed more surprised to see Aladdin then they were by their supposed king’s current condition.

But what surprised Morgiana the most was to see another fanalis for the first time. Thinking back to the way he looked at her, emotionless at first, but surprised as much as she was to see another of the red lion tribe.

“Woohoo!” Aladdin cheered, dropping all decorum as she waltzed in and made a beeline for the nearest bed. “No more sleeping outside tonight!” The twenty-seven-year-old jumped onto the bed like a child. Abruptly sitting up as a thought struck her. “Ah excuse me, do you know when the next ships heading to the southern continent might be leaving?”

_Southern continent? Was that the technical term for the Dark Continent?_

* * *

“I humbly present to you, Babadd’s specialty, an herb baked eumera sea bream!” Sinbad pulled off the silver covering, allowing the mouth-watering scent of the cooked fish to permeate the air. Knowing full well he had Aladdin hook line and sinker for the time being. And as a bonus, Morgiana seemed appreciative of the free meal as well as her mouth watered from the smell, not that Sinbad could blame her,

Watching the two dig in while he picked slowly at his food, trying to gauge the party's moods before he put his pieces into play. Waiting for Morgiana to be finished at least before he stuck.

“Morgiana,” He distracted her from the various side dishes that Aladdin now had free reign over as she scooped up helpings, “Masrur here is a fanalis as well if Aladdin hasn’t already told you. I’m guessing the same as you, you have the same look in your eyes.” Not the demure slave look that most former fanalis slaves had, but that untamable energy that shifted in the pupil, the way all fanalis would zero in on a target.

Their greetings to each other were lackluster but it seemed his companions got the gist of what he was attempting to do, that or Aladdin was just happy for Morgiana to meet someone like her as she handed the slightly panicked girl off to his attendants, leaving her and Sinbad alone.

“I assume you didn’t just want Morgiana and Masrur to meet to facilitate friendly bonds?” Aladdin quirked a brow, getting to the meat of the issue and going for the jugular while she sipped from her wine glass, a white wine from Sinbad’s personal stock.

“Mah, can’t old friends catch up after two years?” Sinbad raised his own glass in a good gesture.

“Fair enough,” Aladdin slipped back into her happy go lucky airy self, resting her head on her hand as she watched Morgiana and Masrur have one of the most awkward conversations. “I assume Yam-chan and Sharrkan are still fighting like cats and dogs, Hinahoho is still on the hunt for a new wife who will love his kids. Drakon and his wife are currently trying for a child of their own, I might actually have to come to Sindria to help them on that issue.” She took a swig, the two understanding that because of Drakon’s assimilation, most activities with his wife had to be modified in some way. “And my best guess is,” She continued, looking up as she rifled through her memories for what her friends in Sindria were most likely doing. A part of Sinbad wondering if she had at any time in the past two years shown up just to spy on them without saying hello. “Pisti is still trying to get a boyfriend that’s not a lolicon, and Spartos is well… Spartos.” She perfectly summarized everything happening in Sindria at the moment. Once more looking at Sinbad, waiting for him to make his move.

“And how were your travels, we haven’t seen you in two years, and all of a sudden I find you wandering the desert with a young fanalis girl?” He asked, smiling behind an innocent-looking mask as he bit back the burning questions on the tip of his tongue.

Aladdin seemed to brighten up a bit at his urgings for details. Always happy to tell the weird and wonderful going ons of her life. “Let’s see I traveled the desert for about a year, got eaten only once,” She ticked off on her finger, an impressive feat actually considering her current streak of being eaten in one gulp by giant monsters. “Went into a dungeon or two and might have…” She quietly mumbled the last part into her wine glass.

“I’m sorry, what was that last part? It sounded like you went into a dungeon, or **several** and something else I didn’t quite hear?”

“Oh yeah I went into Amon and maybe, just a little one, Paimon, and then, funny story, when I was coming here to Balbadd with Morgiana I might have…” Bubbles gurgled in her wine glass as she muffled the last part once more.

It was like pulling teeth, getting important details from this woman. As much as Sinbad loved her, it was infuriating that she did not always share vital information with him.

He blamed Yunnan.

“So tell me more about the conquerors then!” He smiled, five hairs away from choking the woman. “What were they like? I’ve heard that it was a Kou general who conquered, what was it, Paimon, a dungeon you raised?” He said with an edge to his voice, feeling his knuckles go white as he thought of one of the current biggest thorns in his side. “What was her name, Hakuei, the eighth imperial princess?”

“Hakuei, oh she’s fine, I think. There was a general that betrayed her and really I didn’t do much, it was more about survival then. A complete accident really that I was inside Paimon…” She trailed off with her lame excuse, a small sense of comfort settling in as he saw from Aladdin’s expression that she viewed that one as a mistake herself.

Sinbad let out a deep breath. Reminding himself that he loved Aladdin and did not want to cause a scene in public, especially where an overprotective fanalis could begin using his organ as a punching bag, getting tips from Ja’far while she pulverized his bones to a fine powder. “And the one in Amon, Qishan?”

“Ah,” Aladdin said, putting down her now empty glass, “You might, actually, have heard of him…”

“Is it Alibaba?” He asked, feeling his smile strain the sides of his face, picturing a man taller than him, a bit younger than him, and a bit more muscular in the way that Aladdin liked. Hurriedly squashing that jealous feeling down when he noticed Aladdin looking at him funny.

“He might,” She swallowed thickly, looking for something to do.

“And does he so happen to be part of the fog troupe that is currently terrorizing the city?” He asked politely, feeling a vein start to pop at the situation. He had no vessels on him and might have to go against a user Aladdin had chosen, something she hadn’t done since him and that was when she didn’t even know she was supposed to pick a king vessel. What was one she actually put thought into going to be?

Aladdin’s silence said it all.

The man sighed, feeling twice his age as he thought strategies for what he could do to make the situation come out in his favor. But all in all, it boiled down to one factor at the moment that could help him turn the tide.

“You’re helping.” He stated bluntly, taking immense satisfaction in Aladdin’s affronted look. “You might not have started this,” He cut off her response, leaving her gaping there like a fish, “But this Alibaba is affecting my country, the country you helped found.” A stab of guilt to his heart as she watched her face twist in anguish. _I’m sorry._ He thought to himself, really he didn’t want to hurt her or force her hand but he was somewhat desperate here. “But I could really use a friend’s helping hand.” He smiled at her, laying the charm on thick.

A beat of silence, then two. And Sinbad was beginning to wonder if his plan was going to backfire when Aladdin sighed.

“Fine.” She said, and Sinbad’s mood instantly brightened, “You’re lucky you're pretty.

“You think I’m pretty?”

“Not the point.”

Aladdin stood up to leave, calling for Morgiana, who quickly returned to her friend’s side looking somewhat relieved.

“I assume you have a plan then?” She called back to Sinbad who was watching her leave with a smile.

“Of course I do!” He said, quickly moving the group back to his quarters in the hotel where they could strategize in private. A map laid down on the coffee table with three locations circled in red, two mansions that belonged to the Balbadd elite in the upper district, and a warehouse controlled by the government that stored valuable commodities but located closer to the slums. And after some clever subterfuge from Ja’far, they had made all three a tantalizing target for the Fog Troupe to attack.

Now all they had to do was split into groups and set up an ambush.

* * *

Why?

Why had it turned out like this?

Don’t get Sinbad wrong, he was glad he was partnered with Masrur, but he really wanted to be with Aladdin. But after she and Ja’far laid out their arguments on why the five of them should be split up like this

_“Ah, please excuse my transgressions oh mighty king vessel, I thought you asked for my help, and really, don’t you think a Magi and a metal vessel user partnered together might be a little overkill with bandits, hmm? Ah, but it wouldn’t be would it! Because you lost your Djinn! So really I’d be doing all the work while you hid behind my borg. Leaving Masrur, Morgiana, and Ja’far to fend for themselves and put one at a severe disadvantage.”_

Aladdin’s cutting remarks had stung but rung clear. As a Magi, she was the least likely to have trouble on her own. And while Ja’far and Masrur could handle themselves in a one on one fight or even against multiple opponents, fighting bandits on their home turf in low visibility was asking for trouble. So he and Morgiana were sent as a backup, with the young fanalis girl stubbornly forcing herself onboard but thankfully not teamed up with him.

He didn’t need to watch his back for bandits and a prickly fanalis who for some reason had it out for him.

* * *

There were several reasons why Aladdin had chosen to go alone. And chief among them was that she did not want the others to see her in her weakened state.

Though she had access to her vast reserves of magoi and the help of the rukh, she was still miles away from where she could be in terms of raw strength. And while she could hold her own in a fight, against a trained metal vessel user she might have some issues. Her borg still felt fragile, and she could just tell if she pushed herself in a fight she would wear out quickly.

So she really hoped that no one came to fight, and if they did that maybe she could talk them out of it and resolve the situation peacefully.

The sound of approaching footsteps surprised her, the outline of a woman carrying something, a baby, she realized, hobbled uneasily towards her.

“Are you alright?” She approached the frail bedraggled woman. Deftly dodging the blade that swiped out at her. Quickly finding herself surrounded by a ragtag team of starving citizens, skin stretched and postures hunched from the lack of food.

She couldn’t fight these people.

“I have no milk to give him. I need food, no matter what! If you try to stop me, I-I’ll kill you!” And with that she lunged. If it wasn’t for Aladdin’s borg springing into being on instinct, she probably would have had a new puncture wound to add to her collection. But she couldn’t do much more than stare. Not at the woman who was now kneeling on the ground, too weak to stand, but at the limp hanging arm of her infant, skin and bone where healthy fat should have been.

The startled shocked cries of the mob were enough to shake her, dabbing at the tears she didn’t know had started to fall.

“Are all of you hungry?” She asked. A stupid question as everyone around her was gaunt, barely standing with sunken shallow eyes from weeks without a steady meal. Many were ready to charge, to do anything to survive. “I’m sorry but there’s no food here.” She regretfully informed them, and it was true. The warehouse was full of lumber at the moment. It was too big for them to cart off and sell in one night. Otherwise, she was tempted to let them take it. A few called her liars, shouting at her to get out of their way, that they had families to feed, but most just slumped, defeated before the fight even began.

And as she watched the mother cry over her starving infant, her resolve steeled.

“Listen,” She began, “I know you don’t know me, don’t trust me,” She started, the few still standing a knife’s edge away from attacking her. “But if you leave this warehouse alone, and give me a chance I promise I can help.” She held up her hands placatingly.

The crowd shifted uneasily, clearly not expecting this result.

“How?” The mother asked, clutching at her child, “Are you mocking us? You who dress in noble's clothes and eat every day, not wondering when or where your next meal will come? How can you help us?!” The mother screamed, followed by the roar of her companions who didn’t approach but yelled their ascent nonetheless.

_How indeed._ Aladdin thought to herself, looking for anything that might alleviate the gnawing hunger the crowd felt. Her eyes spotting a barren lot of dirt populated only by the sparse weed or spare piece of refuse. An idea springing forth as she calmly and slowly walked towards the open earth, the crowd following behind her, ready to attack should she make a sudden move, but wanting to see if she kept her word.

Casting a glance back, she saw them gathered around her as they stood in the dirt lot, watching her, waiting.

“Here goes nothing!” She remarked to herself under her breath, feeling the familiar tug of her magic beneath the skin as she channeled it downward through her staff. The first thing to grow were flowers, little clovers that sprung up with ease. Startled voices rising around her in a murmur as they remarked at the miracle, but people can’t eat flowers. She reached deeper, and from the cracked earth, bushes rose that soon flowered in turn before ripening berries took hold on the branches. Soft tart juicy red berries that the people wasted no time in devouring, the juice staining their face and clothes, making it look like they had butchered an animal with their teeth. 

But Aladdin wasn’t done yet.

There was nutrients here, from a time when this land was a fertile coastal forest, buried deep beneath the surface and begging to be made into a harvest. So with one final tug, great boughs burst from the ground as massive thick trunks took root in the now fertile soil. Fat leaves sprouting above their heads and obscuring the night sky. Finally, little white flowers bloomed before their petals fell away, quickly replaced with the ripening bodies of fat juicy red apples that weighed so heavily on the branches they made the wood bend to the earth where they became prime targets for the picking.

“If anyone needs medical attention or anything else please come here and I’ll do my best!” She shouted over the crowd, more people coming to see what the commotion was and quickly joining in on the bounty. A few came forward, showing her abscess and infected wounds that she worked tirelessly to fix. The sound of laughter ran out through the night as children ran through the bushes, eating their fill while the adults gathered as much as they could for later. No one was for want as the fruits quickly replaced themselves after being plucked.

A small trickle of rukh flying above the unaware crowd's thankful heads that supplied a bounty of a different kind to the quickly tiring Magi, rubbing at her temples as a headache began to grow from her exertion.

_But if these people aren’t the Fog Troupe, then-_

Aladdin acted quickly, pooling a vast quantity of magoi into a concentrated mass inside her, focusing one branch of magic and only that one branch of magic. Letting it loose with a clap that shook the air and made everyone pause what they were doing and look at her. Standing up and walking through the stunned crowd before disappearing into the fog as if she had never been there. Leaving the stunned crowd to be bathed in a violet light from a glowing mirror copy of herself, sitting tranquilly on a large exposed root. Carefully controlling the flow of life magic it outputted into the now bountiful city plot.

* * *

_This was strange._ Sinbad thought to himself as the night remained quiet. They hadn’t heard a peep from anyone except the noble they were guarding. Not even a stray dog looking for scraps or a poor beggar.

Zilch.

Which begged the question.

What were Morgiana and Ja’far dealing with, and more pressingly, Aladdin?

“Sin, Masrur!”

Speak of the devil and she shall appear on a flying carpet. The woman that most occupied his thoughts came to hover above the ground, and Sinbad could tell something was off immediately.

“Aladdin, what’s wrong?” He jogged over to the Magi, Masrur not too far behind.

The man’s eyes widened in shock once he saw Aladdin in the lamplight. Her skin was pale, clammy and void of color, with a fine sheen of sweat that coated her. She gripped her staff tightly in her white knuckles.

“A couple starved citizens but no bandits, you?” She asked dodging the elephant in the room with the subtlety of Masrur smashing through a wall.

“Aladdin-”

“If you’ve got nothing on your end then I’m guessing they’re attacking Morgiana, I’ll see you guys there!” She took off.

“Aladdin!”

* * *

This was bad, she really pushed herself when she made that avatar. One more big spell and she was probably done for. But that didn’t mean she was out of it.

For the last month, she had been ordering every beetle under her command to flock to Balbadd, mostly to look for and keep an eye on Alibaba, as bad as they were at this task.

The massive swarm grew to blot out the night sky as they responded to their creator's commands. Growing agitated as they fed off their master’s emotions, and threatened to drown the bandits below her in a sea of limbs and mandibles when she saw Morgiana and Ja’far forced to kneel under dark magic.

* * *

_Who was this brat!_ Kassim thought to himself, shocked that she could resist his black fog for so long. Finally smashing her into the ground and forming a crater around her subjugated form with a little more focus.

“Now’s our chance! Take what you will and-”

“Look out!” Someone screamed, followed by more shouts of surprise and shock.

“What now?!” Kassim snarled, feeling his anger evaporate when he came to witness the gyrating swarm above him. A sea of black that clacked and screeched in agitation. And at the front of them, floating above them all like some prophet of the end, a woman with an enraged expression conducted the swarm. And with a flick of her wrist, she sent it cascading down.

He tried to fight it, they all did, sending shot after shot of his black fog to clear the sharp insects that his comrades down. But for everyone he cleared off, another twenty took their place with a vengeance. They threatened to carry them off, send them somewhere dark where the light of day would never reach when it happened.

When _he_ happened.

A bright pillar of flame that rose up, a beacon of hope to their comrades, scattering the mass of insects as they scrambled away from the flames and hugged the shadows so as to not to be cooked alive.

“Aladdin!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Two chapters in two days!
> 
> To be honest I've had this chapter mapped out and envisioned for so long it was a breeze to write. And so much fun too!
> 
> Protective Morgiana is best Morgiana.
> 
> I seem to not be able to end a chapter without someone shouting "Aladdin!" at the end.


	11. The Fog Troop

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinbad learns what previously happened to Aladdin and is left to wonder about Alibaba while the two share an intimate moment.
> 
> Meanwhile, the former prince has a heart to heart with the woman who has put so much faith in him before coming to blows with his hero.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I tried and I hate dialogue. I'm gonna go to sleep now.

_ Aladdin. What happened? _

Sinbad ran through the streets of Balbadd, cursing that the two manors were on the opposite ends of the district, getting lost a few times in the twisting mass of buildings that had been built over the centuries as the city grew. The dark phantom of fear flying above his head and whispering in his ear like some malevolent cloud.

_ You didn’t think. And now you can’t help. Without your vessels, you're just a man, and now she is going to pay the consequences for your selfishness. No wonder she doesn’t trust you. _

Masrur close behind him as they ran, spotting the black swarm of... something, that hovered high above the manor like a stormy sky. His heart clenching in panic as he watched it dive down and crush whatever happened to have the misfortune of being underneath it. Picking up the pace as he heard the screams of the crowd, stunned to a standstill when a massive pillar of flame that had to either come from Aladdin… or a dungeon capturer.

The foreign king grit his teeth in frustration, digging crescents into his palms. “Masrur,” He said with renewed determination, “Let’s go.” Pushing precious magoi into his legs to boost his speed as they quickly began to close the distance.

* * *

Amidst the swarm of biting mandibles and sharp limbs, Alibaba was panicking internally.

_ Why is she here?! _

Barely keeping his head above the proverbial water as the insects worked their way into his clothing and took hold of him. His friends and Allies swept away by the dark pinching tide while she floated above it all, ethereal and untouchable. The two they had fought from earlier, Morgiana and some man with knives attached to ropes, were now freed of Kassim’s black smoke, standing in a small circle, a bastion of calm in this nightmarish sea, not knowing what to do as the Fog Troupe was swept away by the living tide.

So far the creatures had shown no signs of magical abilities, only becoming a menace due to their number. And he hoped he was right as he fought to free his sword from its hilt, ignoring the biting mass that sought to block his every movement before his hand made contact with the familiar hilt. The blazing heat of Amon lay dormant beneath its metal surface. But by merely touching the metal hilt with his fingertips, it bloomed around him in a blazing inferno that swept the dark tide away, incinerating the plague of insects that appeared as an amorphous blob in the dark night. Giving him a moment to collect himself and act before it once more swept in on him like the merciless tide.

He knew if it came down to it he couldn’t fight them all, more of the creatures streaming in, up and over the walls like it was a damn waiting to burst and drown them all in a deluge of living creatures.

No, he had to end this now!

“Aladdin!” He bellowed at the enigma, her impassive gaze shifting ever so slightly to show that she had acknowledged him. Her blue eyes bearing down on him with the intensity and power of the sun itself behind them, making him feel small and powerless. But there was something else that gave Alibaba courage, a hint of hesitation that flickered in the back of her eyes before her features swallowed it up to be replaced by an imperious gaze. Pulling off the headscarf he wore to keep his identity hidden, making sure she knew it was him. “Long time no see!” He shouted, trying to remain calm and keep his voice from shaking as the swarm seemed to grow angrier at him for shouting, threatening to collapse in on him but were held back by a simple raise of the hand from Aladdin.

Good, he had her attention.

“Listen, would you mind putting the… beetles-” he thinks that's what they were, “Away? My comrades are freaking out.” More like they were going to be traumatized as the swarm had already carried a fair number of them off to God knows where.

“Don't listen to him!” The pale man yelled, readying to launch those rope darts at Alibaba from the sanctity of their island.

But he didn’t have Aladdin’s attention.

With a snap of her fingers, a wave of green energy rippled through the air, pacifying the swarm before it retreated, leaving many of his comrades in the fetal position as the millions of bugs vanished into the air. Those that were standing were shaking on their legs, either getting into a fighting position or rushing to their allies to make sure they were okay. A few unfortunate souls coughing up a beetle which quickly flew away into the foggy night.

Aladdin descended to the earth, her veil whipping through the air as it settled onto her head, her imperious gave and inscrutable countenance gave nothing away while Alibaba approached her. His friends that could stand- like Kassim, Zaynab, and Hassan, were quick to join his side while the others worked to get everyone to their feet and behind their fearless leaders. Everyone attempted to put up a strong front as if the swarm wasn’t at the beck and call of Aladdin, hiding just beyond their sight. Likewise, Morgiana and the robed man stood behind Aladdin. A tense face-off ensuing between the two groups. His friends were ready for a fight, just like the two behind Aladdin, but Alibaba knew in a straight fight they’d be destroyed.

Aladdin didn’t just have all the cards, she owned the deck, the rules, even the fucking board they were playing on. If Alibaba didn’t play the few meager cards he had right, this could very well be the end of the Fog Troupe.

Aladdin's eyes held a sadness to them, a sadness that did not carry into her body language as she waited for him to defend himself, to justify his actions to her. To prove it hadn’t been a mistake to bestow him with such power.

“We’re retreating.” Alibaba’s own voice surprised him. Even Aladdin actually seemed taken aback by his answer, her mask slipping off into one of confusion as she blinked. Murmurs of protest erupted behind him as people asked each other if they heard him right. Even Morgiana and the man beside her seemed taken aback with Alibaba’s decision

“Eh?”

“Fall back!” Alibaba ordered, turning on his heel and walking out through the hole they came through.

“What are you talking about?” Kassim gripped his shoulder and forced him around. “We can take them, we can fight back. We have the power.” His brother in arms held up his magic tool. The same magic tool that had been useless against the swarm that was probably itching to once more inundate them with numbers. It was either bravado or stupidity, probably both, and it was contagious as they willingly ignored the results of their last confrontation.

“No,” He finished, placing a hand on Kassim’s shoulder, peeking around him to see Aladdin looking calmly at him once more, her calm mask tinted with something Alibaba couldn’t quite pin at the moment. “We can’t.”

_ I’m sorry, Aladdin, but I can’t be your friend. _

* * *

“Why, why didn’t we fight? What’s the point of having this power if we’re not going to use it, huh?!” Kassim roared in Alibaba’s face, the two sitting in the privacy of Alibaba’s room. “We had the numbers, she was foolish enough to get rid of that monster swarm, we could have rushed her.”

“No, we couldn’t.”   
  


“How do you know that?!”

“Because she’s the one who gave me this power!” Alibaba yelled, gripping Amon as the silence became deafening.

Kassim glanced between the blade and Alibaba’s frustrated face. He knew Alibaba’s knife held more power than his own black fog blade. The idea alone must have seemed ludicrous after Alibaba’s display of power.

The clearing his flames afforded him must have looked to his comrades like fear or hesitation on Aladdin’s part, not clemency.

“What do you-”   
  


“She’s the one who helped me conquer Amon, I would have died without her help or still be working a shit job in Qishan if it wasn’t for her. What we saw today, what she did just then, that was only a glimpse. She could have strung us all up in an instant and left us to be collected by the army.” The memory of Budel being strung up flashing through his mind, before tonight it was a funny memory he could look back on and laugh at. But now, now he could only picture himself in that position. Hands and feet bound while he was at the mercy of others.

“So what do we-”

“Nothing.” Alibaba cut Kassim off, already trying to figure out what to do. They couldn’t stay here, no telling when Aladdin would come flying in and tearing the literal ground out from under their feet. Why? How? Could she not see what they were doing? That they were helping people?

And then he heard the laughter filtering in through the window. And he remembered she did. Just that she went about it a different way because she was a Magi, she wasn’t bound to the rules like the rest of them were. Where they had been fighting, struggling to help put food on the table for the people in the slums, stealing money, and selling stolen goods to barter for rotting scraps. Where they inadvertently drew the ire of the government who raised taxes in response.

She pulled a miracle out of thin air and did more in one night than they had done in months.

When they returned to the slums it wasn’t to the normally oppressive atmosphere that had hung over their heads like a dark storm for half a year. People were smiling, laughing, helping one another and sharing food. Stories of a spirit in noble garments that made a fertile harvest of ripened crops that could feed an entire demographic for months, and then vanishing into the fog without a trace. There was only one person Alibaba knew who could do that and it wasn’t a coincidence that she had appeared at the only other target they had for the night.

He’d never thought he could discard a friend so easily.

So readily throw off that encompassing protective umbrella that was Aladdin’s friendship and now stand opposite of her, directly in the path of her ire.

But the worst part was, the part that he wasn’t telling Kassim. The part where he wasn’t afraid of fighting Aladdin because of how powerful she was, but because he’d be fighting a friend that had put so much faith in his abilities when they first met.

And now the future loomed ominously overhead. Everything the Fog Troupe stood for threatened to crumble under the storm that was Aladdin. Their days were numbered now and only Alibaba knew it.

* * *

"So not only has Kou bullied Balbadd and other neighboring nations like it into using the fan," Sinbad scrutinized the piece of paper under the light as he summarized the economic and political situation of the nation. "But Ahbmad is engaged to marry one of Kou's princesses." Sinbad laid out, making the situation painstakingly clear. First Balbadd's economy is ruined beyond repair as the country spirals into debt. Next, Kou decides they'll forgive the debt if the ruling family of Balbadd marries a member of the Kou royal bloodline, effectively handing the nation over on a silver platter and set up a launching base for a possible expansion across the sea.

The bastard never intended to resume trade with Sindria.

"There's also the matter of the Fog Troop, so it would prove wise for us to contact Sindria for backup with our next move," Ja'far advised.

_ And me without my metal vessels _ . Sinbad thought darkly, frowning at the serious disadvantage his current situation put him at.

“I also think we should consider asking Aladdin for further help with your current situation.” Ja’far tentatively added, knowing Aladdin was not in the best condition at the moment and that it was a sensitive subject for Sinbad.

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Sinbad let out a deep breath, thinking long and hard on what he should do. Ultimately coming to the conclusion that talking with Aladdin would be his best solution- both in finding out what was wrong with the Magi, and recovering his lost metal vessels. “Guess it can’t be helped,” He muttered under his breath, standing up with little fanfare as he walked towards the Magi’s quarters, hoping Morgiana wouldn’t be there so he and Aladdin could have a much needed discussion in private.

“Perhaps it would be appropriate to wait until later.” Ja’far hesitantly voiced.

“And what time would be better,” He shot Ja’far a tired look, daring the man to continue, “When we next end up in a fight with metal vessel users? Or when Aladdin collapses from carrying our weight when she shouldn’t have to?” He strode away, leaving Ja’far and Masrur to watch him leave in worried silence. They too did not forget the weakened state Aladdin was in after the Fog Troop retreated and were worried about their friend. They just didn’t know what to do when a sorcerer of creation fell ill.

Aladdin’s room was easy to find, Sinbad having made sure it was right next to his, albeit far more luxurious, room. The king rapped softly on the wooden door and called out for his friend, cracking it open a bit and peeking inside when he got no response. It looked clean and untouched, with the two women's belongings stacked neatly on the far wall. The only reason he didn’t leave and start searching the rooftops was because Aladdin lay unresponsive on her bed. Her veil and staff discarded on the floor while her braid was halfway undone in a shoddy attempt to relax.

“Aladdin?” He tried again, having not seen the confrontation but knowing enough from Ja’far to piece together that it had not gone well despite the Fog Troop’s retreat. Again Sinbad got no response. Entering the room, he made sure to shut the door, listening for the soft click of the metal mechanisms that signaled it was properly closed. Then he carefully approached the occupied bed. Finding a pair of sapphire eyes briefly look at him in the low light before turning back to stare at the wall.

The bed dipped under his weight as he put a hand on her arm and jostled her slightly, growing more worried by the second as she refused to respond.

“Aladdin, what’s wrong?” He calmly asked, trying and failing to keep the worry from his voice.

“Nothing’s wrong,” She denied.

“Aladdin,” He started, amber eyes locking with sapphire blue as he ensured she was paying attention to him. “What happened?”

“Nothing happened.”

Again she denied something was wrong as Sinbad felt his last nerves snap. Deciding that he had to play hard if he was going to get answers, Sinbad grabbed her by the shoulders and hoisted her into a sitting position, immediately noting something was off when she winced in pain. Holding Aladdin up, he carefully maneuvered himself around, brushing aside her hair before pulling the top of her blue dress slightly down to assess her for injuries.

Sucking air through his teeth as he hissed, blinding hot rage burning in his chest that he hadn’t noticed Aladdin was injured. Some at him for not seeing it, but also that she hadn’t told him.

“Why?” He looked at the angry purple and red wound, already well on its way to recovery but it should be gone, vanished. Aladdin could close up cuts and repair bones without leaving a single trace that there had been an injury. For fuck's sake, he remembered her babbling on with pride about how she had stopped her period from happening once upon a time. There shouldn’t be a wound in her back, least of all two of them. Angry black veins that pulsed and aggravated the skin spreading out like a spider's web from the warped flesh that was a sickly pale color, looking like it was about to flake off in some parts.

It would be one thing if this was about keeping the scar as a reminder not to be careless, but this wound was serious, and it refused to heal. If this had been anyone else they’d be dead right now.

“How.” He didn’t ask, he demanded. First thing he promised himself after this mess was resolved to hunt down whatever or whoever did this and give them a death ten times more painful than the injury they gave Aladdin.

“There was a corrupted,” Aladdin explained, not looking at Sinbad. “And it got the drop on me.” Letting out a hiss of pain as Sinbad lightly touched the injury. “I’m fine.”

A bald-faced lie.

“No, you’re not.” Sinbad reminded her with the cold face of reality. Getting up to zip around the room, looking for medical supplies and making do with what was available. Filling a basin with water from a nearby sink while tucking the softest towels he could find under his arm.

Aladdin remained sitting on the bed, watching him move through her long hair that was working itself free of its confines.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” He asked, hurt evident in his voice while he tried to distract himself with work. Wetting the cloth before gently dabbing at the wounds, pulling up scabbed blood from when they must have reopened from exertion. Setting a mental reminder to have Ja’far contact Yamuraiha for medical supplies that could deal with this, magic was definitely needed.

“I didn’t want to worry you.” Was Aladdin’s simple reply, slowly carding a hand through her long blue hair.

“You don’t get to decide that.” He returned with more vitriol than was probably necessary, feeling bad as Aladdin looked away and physically recoiled from his words. “Here,” He said without waiting for a response, placing his hand just a bit under the wounds and massaging at the tense knotted muscles beneath it. Using a magoi technique he had learned that promoted healing. The energy emanating from his hands working to stimulate Aladdin’s own while repairing cell damage.

“Thank you,” She quietly told him, hiking up her dress while Sinbad stood up ready to leave, having lost the desire to ask Aladdin for help with his mistakes when she was already dealing with her own. Surprise ringing in his head when he felt Aladdin tug at his wrist, asking him to stay with a small voice. Pulling him to sit besides her.

The two opting to just lay on the large twin-sized bed, holding hands to reaffirm the other's presence in the dark. Together in a bed too small for two people, they made it work, listening to the sounds of the other breathing while the city slept outside. But in this room, they might as well have been in their own world, cut off from everyone else.

The pad of Sinbad’s thumb slowly rubbed circles along Aladdin’s hand.

“Why Alibaba?” An honest question that had Sinbad burning with curiosity, and a little bit of jealousy. Another million little questions about ‘Alibaba the Wonder’ ready to fly past his teeth at a moment's notice but he reigned them back. The leader of the Fog Troop was an enigma to him, only knowing he was the youngest son of Rashid from another woman and that Aladdin had chosen to lead him through a dungeon.

To his knowledge Aladdin had never actually chosen a king vessel, always ending up inside by accident of coincidence. With the only exception being him, that was until now.

What did she see in Alibaba? What made him different?

“Honestly?” Sinbad watched her shadow shuffle closer, letting her forehead rest against his in the dark. Feeling the soft exhale of breath roll over his face and ruffle his hair.

“Yes,” Maybe he was overstepping, Aladdin was a Magi and her reasons were her own. But some selfish part of him wanted to hoard her all to himself, wanted to know everything she knew so that somehow he could convince her to stay with him, or at the least take him along when she ran straight into danger.

Another deep breath that tickled his nose. “Honestly I never intended for him to go through Amon.”

That was... not what he was expecting.

“I only wanted to make sure he was safe, okay, taken care of.” She chuckled to herself, a hollow sound, “Truth be told, after I found him I was thinking of dropping him off in Sindria. Rashid always praised his trade skill when I visited, so I thought-”

_ You could help _ . Was the unsaid end.

A swell of pride nestled in Sinbad’s chest at the knowledge that Aladdin would have turned to him with this task at one point, preening in the dark at the unintended compliment and the confidence Aladdin had in him.

How he was the first person she’d turn to.

But then-

“But then I watched him. A hard worker, never letting the task get him down even when it was above his skill, even when he was all alone. He made friends, he survived, he could have thrived on his own given time.” He didn’t need to see it to know Aladdin was smiling, the gentle smile when she was proud of someone for doing well. “And throughout it all, losing his mother, his home, his friends, his father, everything, he never wavered. He remained kind to everyone he met, was polite, always trying to help even if it put him at a disadvantage, never asking for something in return.” Something uncomfortable swirled in Sinbad’s stomach at Aladdin’s words. “So I thought, what if?”

“What if?” Sinbad echoed back.

“What if someone, who had no aspirations of being a king, or fighting armies, who just wanted power to help people, had it.” He heard her words but he couldn’t quite see her logic. Wondering if she might have hit her head at some point prior to the Amon.

King vessels were meant... to be kings. Were they not?

Why give someone the power to potentially rival entire nations to one person who had shown no interest so far in being king.

And then Sinbad thought-

“And yet he uses that power to challenge his brother’s and aid a criminal organization wanted by the military.”

He heard the gentle laugh, how could he not being face to face with her in the dark, captivated by the bell-like sounds. Aladdin’s shoulder shook, about to explain her perception of events.

Keyword being ‘about’ as she was cut off by incoming high pitched screams. Sinbad was the first to react, shooting up and ready for a fight, able to witness a blond teenager getting thrown unceremoniously through the window. Morgiana soon crawled in through the same window, shooting Sinbad a disapproving look that said if she had known he would be coming into the women’s shared quarters she probably never would have left.

Turning to the teen Morgiana brought in, Sinbad appraised him. Wearing ragged clothes typically seen by the poorer of Balbadd’s citizens, with a red cord tied around his neck. Bright yellow hair and golden eyes that reminded him of someone but he couldn’t place who. Looking from Morgiana to the boy upside down giving a very confused impression before looking to Aladdin for help.

“Yo!” The kid said, looking equally as confused to Sinbad, but made no effort to right himself at the time.

Watching as the woman slowly got up and left the bed, walking over to the fallen teen. Her long blue hair glimmered in the moonlight, trailing behind her and dragging on the floor with its length. Kneeling slightly, she offered her hand without a word, helping to right the boy before leading him to sit on the rug.   
  
“Sin, can we have a little privacy.” She requested over her shoulder, voice light and her exhaustion evident.

“Aladdin, what is-”

“Later.”

He didn’t like it. He could see the boy was armed, but Aladdin had Morgiana at least. A not so insignificant part burned that he was the only one asked to leave. “Fine.” He relented, shooting daggers at the teen who visibly shrunk under his death glare. A warning that he wouldn’t be too far away to make the kid regret his actions if things got too loud.

Closing the door and walking back to Ja’far intent on listening in to make sure nothing went wrong while he was away.

* * *

_ Who was that scary man! I thought I was gonna die for the third time today! _ Alibaba internally panicked, sitting between a rock and a hard place. Morgiana glaring into the back of his head and likely causing a bald spot while in front…

Aladdin sat, looking neither angry nor overjoyed to see him. She looked- she just looked a bit forlorn, her posture quiet as she sat demurely across from him on the floor. A bit pale and exhausted but he felt that was likely due to the late hour of their secret meeting. Not feeling well himself after flying through the city at top speed

_ I sure hope Kassim doesn’t freak out when he realizes I vanished. _ Alibaba scrubbed the back of his head, subconsciously affirming he did indeed have hair and not a burnt bald patch.

Aladdin was looking at him, her dark blue eyes so usually full of life seemed dull and sad, looking deep in thought as she waited for Alibaba to speak. It was the first time he was seeing her hair down and he marveled at its length, traipsing across the floor and appearing like the end of a mighty river as it flowed into an estuary by the sea.

_ Say something, dammit! _

“Your hair looks nice!”

_ Brilliant Alibaba, they don’t call you 'the wonder' for nothing!  _ His inner monologue sarcastically mocked.

It was enough for Aladdin to raise her head and look at him for the first time, sad and hesitant to speak. Making something twist in Alibaba uncomfortably.

_ Say more right now. _

“So it’s been six months already, huh? I see you’re making friends,” Very scary friends, “Anything I missed change?”

“And I see you’ve done the same, Alibaba-kun.”

_ Yeah, I’ve only partnered with my old friend I consider a brother who once betrayed me and now we’re stealing from the government. _ Wow, even in his head that summary sucked so much. He was really hoping she wasn’t here to take Amon cause that would seriously hurt him in more than one way. Although he bet the Djinn would be more than happy to no longer be used for such scoundrel activities.

The air was uncomfortable, tense and silent, the city outside deathly quiet as it waited with bated breath for something to happen.

While Alibaba didn’t know what to say and Aladdin seemed content to just sit in awkward silence, Morgiana had other ideas. “Please cut to the chase.” Her voice taking on a quiet but angry undertone, “Do you know what is happening in this country because of the actions of  _ your _ Fog Troop?” His already wounded pride taking yet another beating as her words cut deep. “Trade has stopped, the government has abandoned its people, and those that flee are at best hunted as slaves or slaughtered by beasts!” He could hear the tension in Morgiana’s limbs, her form shaking with barely restrained anger.

He was ready to be attacked, mostly verbally but Morgiana looked ready to kill.

He didn’t know… but that was a lie. He should have known, probably did but he was just so focused on the present he just-

“It’s fine, Morgiana,”

No, it wasn’t! Why was she defending him, after everything? From Morgiana explaining how the two had traveled here all the way from Qishan just to see him. How Aladdin hadn’t vanished of her own volition and was waylaid on her way to see them, to see  _ him _ . How if he had just waited a month then maybe-

“A lot has happened in the past few months,” Why? “But we shouldn’t say it was all Alibaba's fault. Who’s to say things are better or worse when we are still piecing the puzzle together.” She looked kind, not just to Morgiana as she defended him… but to him as well. Her eyes full of understanding while she smiled at him no less. “Six months since we all were gathered together,” Omitting last night. “Reunions should be happy events, let us save the bitter notes for later when cooler heads might prevail.” How could she be so happy? Wasn’t she ashamed of him? Leaving Qishan instead of waiting and then using the power she gave him to dawdle about and play bandit while people around him, his people, suffered. She should be mad, spiteful, furious! Why wasn’t she… “The moon is so pretty tonight, so let’s talk about something fun.” She played with a loose thread from the rug they sat on, not really looking at anything as she did so.

He had nothing to say to that, the dam of emotions continuing to build inside of him as Aladdin regaled him with their adventures up until this point. Was she being willfully oblivious to the situation? Was this all a ploy to get him to lower his guard?

She filled the oppressive silence with inane chatter, going on about the small things she saw while traveling as if they were as important as the big things. Details like how the flowers swayed in the desert breeze or a cloud that looked like a dog after it blew away into the horizon. The way she spoke telling him that she truly felt these things as important as when they were held up by a cadre of desert bandits that Morgiana fought off before anyone else could blink. Or the giant monster they fought in a cave.

But when she was done and he was all caught up, they were once more swallowed by that oppressive silence. It felt like his lungs were filling with water and he couldn’t breathe no matter how deep a breath she took. He felt his heart beating in his chest, climbing up into his throat. Wasn’t she at all curious or did she already know?

It was too much he had to say something, anything, or else the intrusive thoughts would overwhelm him. The guilt building inside of him, the guilt of his own incompetence that led them, everyone, to this fucked up situation in the first place.

“Aladdin, do you know about my friend, about Kassim?”

And so he told them, these two people he’d know for less than a week six months ago who came all the way to Balbadd to see him. His childhood spent in the slums with Kassim, Myriam, and his mother. How he was the son of the former king. How because of him the treasury was robbed and his father died the same night. How he had failed to do anything but complicate things for his home since the day he returned

“Just get out! Get out of this country, will you!” He bellowed after it was all out on the table, too ashamed with himself to look at them.

Warm arms enveloped him as he sobbed, holding him securely as he thrashed about. Hands pushing against soft fabric and nearly punching the person who refused to let go but held on nonetheless.

“You aren’t alone, Alibaba-kun.” Aladdin’s gentle voice reached his ears. “And your actions haven’t done nothing.” Long fingers gently rubbed soothing circles between his shoulder blades, a comforting action that reminded him so much of his mother who would do the same when he was upset a lifetime ago. “You may not see it but I do, you’ve inspired the people to take action. All day yesterday I heard whispered stories of Alibaba the Wonder. And while there is never a clear answer to the problems we face day to day, from our personal lives to the national issues bigger than one man, it’s going to be alright.”

“How, how can you say that?” He sobbed, clutching onto her like a desperate man in a storm.

“Because sometimes that is the first step any of us can take to making it a reality. So enough tears,” She leaned back and looked at him with a wide smile, wiping a tear away with her thumb. “And let’s figure out our next step before we jump ahead. You’ve got so many friends like Morgiana and myself, not to mention all the people here, we’re on your side too. You don’t have to shoulder the burden yourself.” She drew back, standing up and holding Alibaba’s hands. “I’m sure if we work together, we can find a solution.”

“Aladdin…”

“Right, Alibaba-kun?” She held onto his hands, ready to help him to his feet if he only let her.

“Right!”

And then the world exploded.

* * *

“Just finish them off!”

“Sin!”

“Leave this to me!”

Everyone was shouting as Sin launched himself at the nearest opponent, a man with a yellow blade mounted on his wrist. From the sounds of it, this was a coordinated attack on him. Worse, they had magic tools, possibly even household weapons, as evidenced by his current replacement melting.

_ Shit! _ He dodged his opponent's strikes, clumsy attacks that would only work on someone incapacitated or didn’t know how to fight. Useless against Sinbad who dodged effortlessly, but then he didn’t particularly fancy what such a blade could do to him.

“Oh, come one!” Ja’far took the time to complain while a melee broke out through the entire hotel. “You’re so useless!”

“Shut up!” He’d show him useless. Sinbad hadn’t traveled the breadth of the world without picking up a few things. Thrusting his open palms into his opponent's chest, doing what he had done earlier with Aladdin but on a much larger scale as his attack knocked his foe off balance.

The large man was only able to bark out a “what was that?” before his attack took hold. Magoi had the destructive property that once it was out of the user’s body it wouldn’t mesh with anyone else. Even among twins raised together from birth, the energies differing wavelengths would work to cancel each other out. So when Sinbad’s magoi was pushed into the man it wreaked havoc on his internal structure. The only reason Aladdin hadn’t been affected was because he used such a small amount it did more damage to whatever foreign invaders were inside Aladdin than it did to her cells.

Sinbad was more annoyed by the fact he had to waste his arguably scant amount of magoi on this man rather than use it to help with Aladdin’s healing process, going so far as to voice his disdain quietly to himself while the man squirmed.

With one of their leaders down, the bandits quickly lost morale, starting to scatter or attack blindly at Sinbad and his generals. It didn’t help when their other leader apparent rushed to their fallen comrade's side to extricate him from the fight.

But then weren't there four leaders with magic tools? If two were out here, and he was judging this based on the discolored swords strapped to the two’s wrists, and Alibaba was with Aladdin… then where was the fourth? Shouting from next door made his heart stop as he realized their plan. They came for Alibaba.

But then why target Sinbad? They had fought against Aladdin and from what Ja’far reported back about the fight, it had been a one-sided slaughter.

He’d worry about semantics later, right now though…

“Masrur, Ja’far,” He called out, already running down the hall with most of the fight on their end having concluded. “They’re after Alibaba, they’re with Aladdin.” He burst into Aladdin’s rooms, panicking when he didn’t see anyone, just a massive hole in the wall.

“They’re on the roof.” Masrur’s monotone voice assured his king before he took the quickest way up to the fight. Bursting through the ceiling in a show of force and sending the people with the bad luck to stand on top of them flying into the air. Sinbad and Ja’far soon follow.

These peons must have either learned from their comrades' mistakes or were just a bit above your average grunt as they abandoned the age-old tactic of one at a time for swarming.

Unfortunately for them, Sinbad wasn’t in the mood as he sicked Masrur on them, the charging fanalis not only tearing a path through the assorted bandits, but scattering them enough for him to see through the crowd and spot Aladdin and Morgiana opposite of them, the two having taken the stairs.

“A bit overboard, Masrur,” Sinbad halfheartedly chided his comrade. Unlike the rest of the hotel damage, it was pretty hard to explain why a giant furrow in the roof could not be the work of bandits. But Sinbad might have been mistaken about this group being smarter than your average bandit.

Their leader with the pitch-black sword asking him “What the hell are you?” Then again, Masrur did blow half of them away with a single strike.

“Oh, didn’t you come here to find out?” Sinbad taunted, a little curious to see what this blade would do since the chick before hadn’t used her pink one. Ja’far said it made a strangling mist.

The kid didn’t leave him wondering about its effects for long, quickly sicking fog-like substance on him. It was strange, like gravity had been increased but only where the fog touched him. He wasn’t fool enough to resist it, knowing if it could subdue a fanalis like Morgiana it could easily do the same to him. What Sinbad could do however was observe its effects and analyze its weaknesses. Metal tools and metal vessels all shared one common weakness, and that was that they commonly only used a few simple commands to a high degree of effect. In other words, powerful but simple.

And a basic strength magic spell like this could easily be disrupted.

It was kind of sad actually, not only how quickly he undid the commands but also how little magoi was necessary to break free of it. And he let them know.  “Magical weapons of such piddling power have no effect on me.” What he didn’t let them know was that if it shot lightning or fire, or did what that acid sword did but from a distance, it might be a different story.

It was almost as sad as how quickly the fight ended, Masrur swiftly subduing the young man, the leader of the Fog Troop. But Sinbad had other plans.

He wanted to see this king vessel Aladdin had chosen with his own eyes, see his rival for Aladdin’s favor himself.

Withdrawing Masrur’s sword, he faced his soon to be opponent. “Now all I have to do is capture you, and my job is done. Right, Alibaba the Wonder?” He levied the blade at the aspiring conqueror, his tone lightly mocking with how he jested at the title the boy had attained during his stint as a bandit leader. Once more trying to see what Aladdin saw in such a scrawny teen and coming up for want. Perhaps he’d see more when they crossed blades, not if, when. But the kid had control, Sinbad will give him that, when he didn’t immediately leap into a fight with the experienced dungeon conqueror. “Let’s settle this, general to general.” He dared the kid, knowing if Alibaba ran from a direct challenge he would lose the respect of his men, seeing the clear hesitation written in his young features.

“You can even take him out, if you wish.” He threw the kid a bone, itching to see what the Djinn’s power Aladdin had chosen would be like. Not at all worried that he didn’t have his own vessels for the fight.

When he glanced at Aladdin, he saw neither approval or disapproval, just the calm facade she wore when she was waiting for something to happen. Her hair was still down he noted, making a mental reminder to help her rebraid it later once he won his fight.

But it seemed the fools weren't done. Their other leader, Kassim, the captured one, screeching like a caged macaque for his subordinates to throw themselves at Sinbad so Alibaba could flee.

“I see. That’s one way to resolve this.” He thought out loud, smiling slightly, and showing just a little teeth. Time to dig the knife in deeper. “I mean, the Fog Troop is history now anyway,” He knew just the words to goad  _ Alibaba the Wonder _ into a fight. “And come to think of it, you’re not like the others, are you now? Runaway if you want. These guys are people of the slums. But you’re different.” He frowned, looking down his nose as he eyed the dagger nestled by the boy’s heart. Aladdin might kill him later for eavesdropping after she asked for privacy, but at the moment he didn’t care. Even after listening to the kid’s sob story, he still didn’t see it.

“No matter how hard you try to pretend you’re one of them, at the end of the day, you’re a royal prince, Alibaba.” He hammered reality in hard. Smirking when the kid snapped, spouting how Sinbad was wrong, before finally withdrawing his blade.

It would have been easy to end the fight while he was reciting the basic incantations, novices could summon their Djinn’s power without them after a bit of training, but he wanted to see them. Wanted to see if in the heat of the moment, he would see what Aladdin saw.

The fire was hot, but held at a distance, acting more as a smokescreen than an actual attack. Sinbad only needed to adjust after a second of the intense blaze coming to life before he was ready.

He still wasn’t seeing it though.

_ Aladdin _

Alibaba leaping out of the flames did little as he came from where Sinbad had last seen him. The two engaged in a dance of swords, Sinbad having the advantage of not only experience but reach. He easily blocked all of Alibaba’s attacks, meeting them head on to test the kid’s metal.

And still, he came up wanting for more.

_ What is it you see in him? _

It seemed all he knew was Balbadd’s royal sword style, something Sinbad had become versed in early on in his career.

Finally, the boy used the flames to his advantage, sending a wave that was easily blocked with a scant amount of Sinbad’s magoi. The combination wasn’t bad, but it needed work before Sinbad would even sweat.

_ Why him? _

He had seen enough, it was time to end this.

He let the boy kick Masrur’s sword out of his hands, intentionally loosening his grip to send the blade flying. Grabbing the boy by the arm and pumping magoi into the limb. Not enough to injure or harm, but enough to leave a slight tingle as his energies canceled the boys, disrupting the commands. Delivering a magoi infused punch to the kid’s gut for good measure and sending him crumbling to the ground.

“You’ve had six months and have absolutely no idea how to use your Djinn.” Sinbad summarized, a little offended that this was the end result after Aladdin’s efforts and praise.

His eyes once more looked to said woman for approval but found nothing, her entire countenance screamed that a bird could have shat on a nearby building and she would have taken more interest in that than the fight.

_ Was it because of Rashid? _

Sinbad kept looking at her, trying to read her mind from the few seldom facial movements. Ignoring the prattle of the crowd until an idea struck him. Quickly summarizing the previously hidden mole in the government that had allowed the Fog Troop to move around so easily. Realizing it wasn’t a coincidence that no one had shown up to where Sinbad had been stationed last night and that a single woman guarding a warehouse might make an easy target for bandits to attack. A devious plan took root in Sinbad’s head.

And it wasn’t like he was blind to their plight either, and after the information he learned about the current monarchs’ plans to maintain the current trading situation with Sindria, he felt like a little peace offering would be best. 

“By taking me, Sinbad, into the Fog Troop!’ He ended his speech, ludicrous even to his own ears. Even Aladdin seemed taken aback, showing more emotion now in the last ten minutes by blinking rapidly, as if something funny had gotten caught in her eye.

Ja’far protested, reminding him of his current promise to the kings, but what good was that when they themselves weren’t going to keep their word. So Sinbad did what he did best, made everyone believe in him.

Well, almost everyone, Aladdin simply raised an eyebrow at his theatrics, patting Ja’far on the shoulder after his advisor was promptly made the villain in all this.

But there was another reason for Sinbad's madness. Despite everything his fight had just shown him about  _ Alibaba the Wonder _ , everything he had heard about the dungeon conqueror, he was still left wanting.

_ What does she see in you that I don’t?! _ _   
  
_

It was maddening to him. He who could see and read the waves of fate could not begin to comprehend what Aladdin saw in this slip of a teen barely past the threshold to be considered an adult, trying to see anything they had in common. And while Sinbad had been far more experienced when he was Alibaba’s age he had been farther along in the use of his first Djinn than Alibaba was now.

But in the end, he got what he wanted. He was officially part of the Fog Troop. And while his reasons for wanting to help the suffering people of Balbadd and stop the abnormalities still rung true. He couldn’t forget his main reason as he looked at the blonde, talking with him about their plan to come before Ahbmand with public support.

_ Why now after all these years? _

* * *

"Do you think Alibaba's going to be okay?" Morgiana asked, barely able to see the palace from where they stood in the crowd.

"Hard to say," Aladdin shaded her eyes and leaned her neck forward, as if she would somehow see what was going on inside, "But with all these people here to lend their support, I'm sure his message will get through."

Morgiana hummed in reply, standing on her tiptoes to try and see better, not that much was happening for them to see, when a thought struck her.

"aren't you supposed to be in there as the Magi supporting Alibaba, Aladdin?" Morgiana looked up to see the shocked blank face of Aladdin who just remembered she was supposed to be inside the palace and not out.

"Well, I'm here now!" She laughed while Mogiana facepalmed.

"Don't you think you should hurry then before it's too late?" The fanalis asked, turning to her companion only to see she had vanished. "Aladdin?" She looked all around her for the woman but found nothing, not even a scent trail to indicate where she had gone. It was as if she had popped out of existence. Morgiana was about to call her name louder when a rude shove from behind knocked her to the ground. Forced to grit her teeth as she watched the long black haired individual strut through the crowd. Aladdin appearing from thin air to help Morgiana back to her feet once he had vanished from sight. Morgiana stared at Aladdin in confusion, wondering what just happened while the elder stared in the direction of the palace in deep concentration, hesitation written clearly across her face as she hopped nervously from foot to foot.

"Aladdin," Morgiana asked, "Do you know that person?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wonder who that rude individual was? Guess we'll have to find out next chapter! Stay tuned for the next episode of Dragon Ball Z, where we finally learn the whole reason I changed the slaver arc!
> 
> And if you're been getting vibes that Sinbad's a bit obsessive and a creep when it comes to Aladdin then you are right on the money for where I'm taking this crazy train! All aboard we're going to fandom hell!


	12. Judar

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Judar appears looking for conflict, and unfortunately, he's found it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took way longer to write even though I've had the fight scene mapped out since February.

In his small dimly lit room, Alibaba sat evaluating the day's events. Considering from every angle what he did wrong and what he could have done right. But none of that mattered. Ahbmad hadn’t even looked at him, just at Sinbad. Almost every one of Balbadd’s citizens came out in support and yet his brother looked at him like he was worse than the dirt stuck to his shoe.

“Ah, Aladdin!” He noticed the slouched woman walking by. “I didn’t see you after my audience with Ahbmad, where- WHY DO YOU SMELL LIKE A DUMP?!” He cut himself off as the stench wafted to him, curling inside his nostrils and singing his nose hair down to the follicle. She didn’t even have the grace to look ashamed, giving him a whimsical smile and a wave of her hand like this was a casual meeting on the street.

“Yo, Alibaba, I chased a beetle to the dump today!” She said like it was perfectly normal to A - do so, and B - come back smelling worse than the dump she dove into. Continuing on her way without further explanation but leaving the smell of dump to linger in the air.

Morgiana followed after at a distance with a clothespin on her nose and looking a bit worse for wear, not to mention green.

The knowledge that he had not been the one to both bear witness to a woman who could destroy nations dumpster diving for a bug and then hang around her while she stank up all of Balbadd did wonders for his mood.

* * *

“Thank you, Morgiana!” Aladdin thanked the poor fanalis who had been forced to accompany her after her insect hunt. The redhead couldn’t leave fast enough, slamming the door with more force than was necessary and shaking the dust down from the wooden rafters as she put distance between herself and the source of her torment. Aladdin had long since gotten used to such offensive aromas after becoming more well acquainted with the insides of monsters than any scholar, or anyone for that matter, should ever have the right for.

“Maybe I should write a book…” She thought to herself as she positioned the small tub, little more than half a barrel that was big enough for one person, two if they really it squeezed in, at the center of the room. Opening a window to both let out the stench and so she could gather water from the late-night fog. Waving her wand in the air as the water coalesced above the wooden tub before letting it drop. She let it slosh around for a bit, several puddles forming on the stones as she had not only misjudged the drop but the amount.

Pulling out three small vials, she emptied a drop from the first into the still water, watching it turn a nice red wine color as she set the other two on the ground within reach. Next, she conjured a ball of light, letting the magic dance in her hand and allowing its intense heat to soak through her flesh and into her bones before she tossed it in. The water hissed as it was quickly brought to a scalding temperature, scented steam filling the room with the scent of moonlit flowers… mixed with rotting garbage.

“Oochgh!” Aladdin gagged after sniffing her sleeve, promptly picking up the other two bottles and dumping the contents out with enthusiastic vigor. A wall of multicolored bubbles rising out and tumbling to the floor as the pleasant smell overcame the repulsive one.

The next on her list for a proper bath was to disrobe, letting her veil fall to the floor in an undignified heap where it soaked up some of the hot scented water before her dress followed suit. Dipping a toe in and sighing as the near-boiling water warmed her feet.

“Ooh, almost forgot,” She exclaimed under her breath, running to her bag of essential possessions rummaging around before she found it. Smiling when her hand rubbed against the smooth surface of the bar of sheep’s milk soap. Returning to her still hot bath and sinking into the hot waters with a sigh, “Aaaaaahhhh, that feels good!” She grinned victoriously.

It had been a long day for the Magi. She barely sensed Judar in time to hide, and who knows what would have happened in a crowded place if the fallen Magi had spotted her. And she didn’t want to find out. Their relationship was tumultuous at best, with the younger Magi challenging her to a magic duel at every opportunity.

But Judar was an afterthought in the grand scheme of things going on in Balbadd, because where Judar was, Al-Thamen was quick to follow.

Now more than ever, she needed to help Sinbad find his metal vessels.

Or rather get someone else to. Luckily, that’s what the beetles were for!

Unfortunately despite having a hive mind of millions of individuals, they had but a handful of brain cells to share between themselves. Henceforth the dumpster diving.

Hey, a beetle’s a beetle.

The sound of heavy footsteps could be heard coming down the hallway made Aladdin wonder what their problem was before she picked up her soap and began working it into a lather.

* * *

Sinbad’s day had been rather shit to say the least. Ahbmad made his intentions to continue trade with Sindria obvious, throwing aside the ruse with the ease of a pig slipping under the mud. And despite nearly all of Balbadd showing up outside the palace walls, the fat midget didn’t pay them any mind, giving them the same attention he would flies swarming a rotting carcass. And while it was a small consolation that Ahbmad had only dealt with him during the entire duration of the meeting and not giving Alibaba a second of consideration, it entirely backfired on his hard made plan.

The only good thing to happen was that Yamuraiha had sent them an entire apothecary’s worth of medicine, potions, tonics, teas, lotions, you name it, for Aladdin’s injuries after Sinbad had sent the court mage a summary of Aladdin’s wounds and what caused it. Yam sent with it an entire manuscript of detailed instructions that read like a Sassan religious text, complete with informative diagrams on the human body and the latest research and theories on magoi circulation.

He had spent a good chunk of time trying to decipher the scrawl of handwriting before giving up and just taking the whole thing, cramming every item into an available tub, and irritably stomping down the hall to Aladdin’s room. That had been another detail that stung like salt in the wound, he and Aladdin were on the opposite ends of the hall.

And to top it all off someone came in smelling like a rotting whale carcass that had been sitting in the sun for a week and ready to explode any second now.

“Aladdin, I have some things for your back” He knocked once before throwing the door open and shuffling in, letting it shut with a bang after giving the old wood a swift kick of his slippered foot.

Aladdin’s room was a harbor in a storm, the room smelled strongly of her and put Sinbad at ease. Crossing the threshold, he plopped the heavy tub on Aladdin’s bed, the only thing big enough for him to lay out all the remedies. Rifling through the bottles of various size, color, and dimension, listening to the soft clink of glass against glass until he found the ones he thought would work best.

“Yamuraiha sent over some things that should help your back, turn around and I’ll- I’ll- I’ll…”

What was he here to do again?

Soft blue locks of hair, damp from mist and water, clung to Aladdin’s pale slender shoulders and vanished beneath the rosy red water. The fractured light shining from the candles above illuminating the water sheen and highlighted the supple flesh of her exposed breasts. To say nothing of the graceful beauty of her slender heart-shaped face and large blue eyes, caught off guard by the blatant intrusion. A slender hand resting atop her chest to keep them from bobbing on the surface while the other tucked a long strand of blue hair behind her ear.

“Y-y-y-yo?!” Sinbad stuttered out, raising a hand in greeting. Something small and hard nailing him in the forehead a second later.

“Did becoming king mean you can enter without being invited!”

Ok, he probably deserved that one. And did she hit him with… a bar of soap? He picked up the offending item before looking back at Aladdin, the woman having no shame and making grabby motions for the slippery item in Sinbad’s hand.

“You’re not going to throw it at me again, are you?” He asked, already in the midst of handing off the would-be projectile to Aladdin.

“No,” She lied, “yes.” She chucked it at him again but he dodged. The two watching it thunk against the near wall and bounce on the wet floor. The king now intimately aware that his shoes were soaked through from the puddles all over. “I’m not giving it back to you.” He told her with the patient tone a parent used on a particularly bratty child, pulling off one of his wet slippers and flicking it onto the bed.

“Why not?!” She looked at him betrayed, earning herself a deadpan expression that told her exactly why she wasn’t getting it back anytime soon. A feeling of disgust running up his spine when his other shoe came off with a wet _schlurp_ , tossing it to join its twin on the ratty mattress.

He got splashed as a reward by the petulant woman, soaking through the hem of his robes and dying the white a deep wine color, irritation mounting. “Oi, Quit it I liked these robes!”

“Don’t barge in while I’m bathing!” Aladdin shouted back, she probably would have stood up to protest more but she had the mind to remain seated, opting instead to stick her tongue out at him.

“I barged in because Yamuraiha sent medicine!”

“Then why didn’t you say so!”

“I did!”

“Fine!”

And with that the room became quiet. A gentle silence interrupted by the sound of Sinbad’s bare feet slapping against the wet bricks, the sound of sloshing water that occasionally spilled over the edge as Aladdin repositioned herself so Sinbad could apply the medicine to her back. The wound was already looking better, a bit lighter but still unnaturally purple, the spider web of black veins receding just a fraction, and the warped flesh looking less angry as Sinbad applied the next salve. The king was on his knees, deciding that since his robes were already wet and partially stained from water. Besides, he had extra. His front was soaked through and he would need to change after this.

He worked in silence, mind blank as he ran through the motions of care. Occasionally they would make small talk or Sinbad would ask Aladdin to read the hurried frantic scrawl of Yamuraiha’s writing that could probably qualify as its own language, the characters thick and slanted, often running down the edge when the young magician ran out of room to write.

But unfortunately, they couldn’t pretend like the elephant in the room wasn’t there. The day's events had to be discussed.

“You need to train Alibaba,” Aladdin said with the subtlety of an airborne fish flopping through the air.

“Absolutely not.” He cut in, now playing with Aladdin’s hair since he was done applying thick salves and ointments to her wounds. T _he idea of wanting to join her in the bath sounds appealing._ He thought to himself, it wouldn't be the first time they'd bathed together. The only problem would be any would be erection popping up with the close skin to skin contact. Maybe if he...

“Why?”

“Because… because…” What was a good reason? He couldn’t say the boy was a threat because A - not true and never would be, and B - Aladdin wouldn’t accept it even on the slim to none chance it was. “Because no one trained me!”

_ Good job Sinbad, good job. _

And while Sinbad’s excuse held water like a kettle without a bottom, Aladdin wasn’t buying it.

“And that justifies it because…” The water rippled as her hand waved in the air trying to find his reason.

“Because…”

“You don’t have a valid excuse.” Her accusation cut straight to the mark as she looked at him with a deadpan unamused expression. Sinbad gaped like a fresh-caught bass as he kneeled stunned while Aladdin turned in the tub to look at him. Letting out a deep sigh before she dug into him. “So to clarify, you have no actual power should a serious fight break out. I’m injured and on the slow path to recovery. You’ve made no effort to find your metal vessels. And you’re not going to help Alibaba use _his_ metal vessel because no one taught you how to use yours?” She summarized, making Sinbad feel like an idiot, ticking each point off on her fingers and somehow managed to look down at him while sitting in the tub.

“But-” He barely dodged the soap in time, again, they listened to it thunk against the wall and bounce to the floor.

“Pick up my soap.” She ordered him.

_ Why am I doing this? _ He thought as he went to retrieve the soap, picking it up and handing it to her before sitting on the wet ground, long since having given up on being dry. Thankfully she didn’t throw it at his head, again. Opting instead to stare at him with a displeased pout on her face. The two entered a staring contest waiting for the other to crack.

_ Oh no. _ Sinbad thought, leaning back when he saw Aladdin smirk, a dangerous glint flashing in the corner of her eye. Her expression smoothing over into something more docile, pleading, as she neared the lip of the tub, lifting herself slightly above the water and resting her head on her arms.

“For me, Sin?” She asked so sweetly, knowing full well what she was doing.

_ Paperwork. Alcohol-free zone. Kou. Politics.  _ His brain now on overdrive tried to find a word or idea to distract himself from Aladdin’s charm.  _ Yunnan! _ His brain settled on, finding the image of the aloof annoying man worked best against the Magi in front of him’s dangerous wiles.

“Please?” She requested again, pulling out the puppy dog eyes as she leaned further out of the tub, dangerously close to revealing herself.

_ “Mah, Sinbad, I have all these secrets I’m not gonna tell you. Can you go away so Aladdin and I can discuss important world affairs? It's not like I'm gonna ask her to go do something dangerous without you for the millionth time!" _ The annoying, slightly feminine, voice of imaginary Yunnan waved him off, nabbing imaginary Aladdin and hiding behind an imaginary door. The imaginary Sinbad banging on the imaginary door was met only with imaginary giggles that infuriated real Sinbad.

“Sin~bad!” Aladdin sang. Sinbad’s face turning beat red as Aladdin finally came out of the tub, her hands reaching up to cup his cheeks and look pleadingly into his eyes. He was trying desperately to increase imaginary Yunnan’s annoyance factor while keeping his eyes riveted on Aladdin’s face, and not the droplets of water that slowly and sinfully slid down from her collarbone and down between her supple chest.

“FINE, I’LL DO IT!” He shouted, mentally begging her to stop.

“Thanks, Sin!” She chirped, now back beneath the water with her arms slung casually over the sides. The defeated king stood facing the corner, trying to compose himself. The blush receded as his brain worked overtime to catch up and decide his next move. A devilish idea for payback taking root and he acted on it before he fully thought through the consequences.

“Oi, the hell do you think you’re doing!”

* * *

“Alibaba-sama!”

“Alibaba-sama!”

“Alibaba-sama!”

“How did the negotiations go!?”

“Please tell us what happened, Alibaba-sama!”

“Alibaba-sama!”

The shouted pleas of the slum dwellers hollered up to said prince’s room, but he didn’t know how to respond. How did he say “Sorry but Ahbmad-aniue wouldn’t even look at me, much less listen about what the people have to say.” Yeah, that would go over well with them. He had given them hope and taken up their worries only to fail them spectacularly.

He felt powerless, so much like when his mother died and he was taken to the palace away from everything he ever knew. His heart clenching painfully as tears threatened to fall, gripping his hair and holding his head between his knees.

“Don’t give up Alibaba-san.” Despite Morgiana’s quiet words of encouragement being spoken in a gentle and empathetic tone, he jumped a foot off the bed, having completely forgotten the Fanalis was in the room with him. Having come back after Aladdin brought that horrid stench with her.

“So many people came to the palace today in support of you, and I’m sure Aladdin would agree you did the best you could.”

_ And yet I still couldn’t do anything. _ His dark thoughts hung about his neck and felt like a noose slowly growing tighter. Morgiana shuffled from foot to foot, clearly unaccustomed to comforting someone, and was about to say something when a knock from the door cut her off.

“I’m sorry if we’re interrupting,” Ja’far appeared in the doorway, the massive frame of Masrur looming behind him. “But Sinbad and Aladdin would like to discuss with you our next move.” The pale man informed them, holding his hand out in indication that they should follow.

The two teens exited Alibaba’s room into the hallway, walking down the winding maze of corridors until they stood outside. Alibaba had taken the lead but then he realized he had no idea where the king and Magi were. For all, he knew they could still be inside and Ja’far and Masrur had simply been nice enough not to point out his blunder.

“Ah, sorry about this, but- uh, where again did you say they were meeting us?” He rubbed the back of his head, trying to look like he was semi in control of the situation when he was pretty sure Sinbad had usurped that role from him a few nights ago.

“This way.” It was Masrur who spoke this time, surprising Alibaba with how deep his voice was, Ja’far walking ahead of them through the maze of buildings as easily as if he had grown up here.

“Thanks.” Alibaba meekly laughed, running to catch up with the pale man who had yet to stop. Keeping to some unknown schedule and expecting Alibaba and the rest to fall in line.

“-ed really? Cramped enough as it-”

“Mah mah, you weren’t compla-…- besides, you think I’m pretty?”

“Something like that, though, the effect is lost when you open your mouth.”

“Oi!”

Two voices could be heard bickering a bit ahead of them. The group rounded a large series of crates that stood blocking the alley, finding Aladdin and Sinbad deep in conversation.

Thankfully the horrid stench that had been hanging on Aladdin like some nightmarish parasite was gone, replaced with the slightly aromatic scent of flowers and something else, but he wasn’t sure what.

“You don’t smell anymore!”

Both the Magi and the king froze while Alibaba continued to blabber on as he noticed the major improvement in air quality. Maybe it was his subconscious mind’s effort to not deal with the situation, a very poorly thought out strategy that had come out while his brain to mouth filter was on break.

“I mean before you smelled like you’d been living inside a rotting yak carcass for a month and now-”   
  
Aladdin cut him off by putting his neck in a chokehold. “You have quite the imagination you know, Alibaba-kun,” She started with a saccharine tone, the killing intent she was leaking as Alibaba struggled for air starkly juxtaposed with her happy smile and tone. His head felt like it was going to pop off with how hard she was squeezing his neck. “But I must have been imagining things, you couldn’t possibly have meant to insult me after I’ve had such a long day trying to help you.” The vice grip grew tighter. “Especially after I’ve come to cheer you up since you’ve been so down lately.”

Alibaba coughed out an apology, mostly consisting of strangled syllables and a pained scream when he heard an audible pop. His face turning bright red while he frantically patted Aladdin’s everything to say uncle. Everyone else too afraid to do much more than watch the scene in horror. Ja’far looked like he wanted to interfere but also like he wanted to keep his limbs attached to his body. Masrur stood indifferently behind the pale advisor, while Morgiana hovered on the cusp of indecision, not quite knowing what to do in this situation. By the time his eyes got to Sinbad, he could only make out the occasional blob if he was lucky.

“Perhaps we should discuss what we should do next before our group becomes short one member,” Ja’far suggested diplomatically in an attempt to cut the tension. Aladdin looked up, bobbing her head from side to side as she made her decision, giving it the same weight one did while appraising two similar fruits at a market stall.

“So I take it the meeting didn’t go well?”

“And where were you for it?!” Ja’far growled at Aladdin, who had yet to stop strangling Alibaba who was quickly losing consciousness. Only given air once the pale freckled man pulled Alibaba from Aladdin’s grip, coughing violently as Morgiana helped him to stand while looking worriedly to Aladdin. The would-be murderer sitting down on a spare box and acting as the prime example of innocence despite several witnesses to what was definitely attempted murder.

“Ah, and here I was thinking you hadn’t found Sin’s metal vessels. If that’s the case… I’ll just call off the search then.” She moved to stand, doing so like a frail old lady getting up, leaning heavily on her staff as she struggled to her feet. Ja’far quick to usher her back down. “Mah mah, it doesn’t hurt to have you searching. Please, please, sit down.” He practically growled the last part as he forced her to sit again.

At the risk of once more finding himself on death’s door, Alibaba opened his mouth. A terrible idea really. “Why weren’t you at the palace?” He was proud of how he made his voice more inquisitive than accusatory. Hiding behind Morgiana when Aladdin’s neutral blue gaze fell on him, looking deeply into his eyes as he waited to be skinned alive.

“I forgot.”

… 

…

Come again?

“Hah! What do you mean you forgot?!” Discarding the safety of Morgiana to shake Aladdin in indignant rage, the woman went with it and just swung wildly as if she had no spine. “I forgot.” She raised her arms and shrugged her shoulders, looking perfectly content with that answer. While Alibaba continued to rant and rave at her, unloading a fair amount of stress on her as he vented. But contrary to what someone might say about getting it all out, his outburst just kept building him up. It was only when he ran out of air that he stopped. Huffing and puffing while the others took a few healthy steps back, not expecting the outburst from the previously morose teen.

“Did you find them?” Masrur asked bluntly, diffusing the tension in the alley and getting everyone back on track as they looked first to him then slowly to Aladdin, waiting for her answer.

Aladdin merely gave them a simple smile and two thumbs up, not a single one of them buying that she was remotely close to locating the metal vessels. “These things take time,” she explained, sighing before looking into space as she tried to come up with the best way to explain things.

“But you’re a Magi, can’t you just sense them?” Ja’far asked, remembering the times in the past Aladdin had helped them find Sinbad and other dungeon conquerors.

“Yes and no,” Aladdin answered, her face scrunching up, “Even when a dungeon capturer has their vessels, a Magi has to be near them to sense them if they’re inactive, and that’s when they’re actually on the dungeon capturer. If they’re off, we have to be touching them to figure out if the item is a metal vessel. So unless someone just pops up and goes, ‘I stole this from the king of Sindria’, our chances are slim to none.” Aladdin rested her face in her hand with a harumph.

“So what now, what do we do if Judar shows up to start trouble, or worse,  _ them _ ?”

The adults in the group stiffened at the mention of the man from earlier in who barged in during the meeting, leaving Alibaba to wonder who the ‘ _ them _ ’ was referring to and opting to avoid ‘ _ them’ _ in the future should they cross paths. The mood in the alley was gloomy as the adults' situation weighed down heavily on them.

“So ugh… who’s Judar?” Alibaba asked. The most he knew of the young man was that he had interrupted his disaster of a meeting earlier and that everyone seemed to have a tense relationship with him at best. Oh! And that there was probably some dangerous shady organization probably not too far behind.

Masrur and Ja’far shuffled awkwardly behind him, well Ja’far shuffled while Masrur managed to make himself quieter than he already was. Meanwhile, Sinbad and Aladdin seemed to have an entire conversation consisting of eye contact and brow movement. It was kinda amazing honestly, the two glancing his way and making him uncomfortable before resuming their silent communication.

It was Aladdin who broke the silence, looking Alibaba in the eyes as she told him, “Judar is another Magi.”

“Like you?”

“Kinda…” Aladdin looked a little uncomfortable at Alibaba's remark.

“What do you mean by ‘kinda’?” He asked

“While we’re both Magi’s Judar is a bit... different from me and the others,” Aladdin said, looking more uncomfortable by the second.

_ Others? _

“Whereas Yunnan, Sheherazade, and I are a bit more concerned with the affairs of the world, Judar is more… free.” Aladdin made a face of someone who had just unwittingly bitten into a particularly bitter lemon. Obviously trying not to be insulting and not quite knowing the words to say. “In truth, Judar is a result more of circumstance than anything else, and while the rest of us never chose to be born a Magi, Judar was made much more aware of his status from a younger age…” She said, biting her fingernails.

Her face a mix of emotions, none of them pleasant, with her body language having an overall air of discomfort. No one knew quite what to do with that last piece of information, but nonetheless, they continued somehow. Sinbad taking over and explaining the plan as they walked, how they would address the remaining crew, and boy and that stung, about what their next move would be.

Anger, doubt, and an overwhelming sadness twisting around Alibaba's heart as he was forced to reconcile that Kassim had once again used him and left when he was done. The only thing keeping him going was the steady supportive gaze of Aladdin who stood behind him and Sinbad while they, Sinbad, addressed the crowd gathered in front of them, those that were too weak to fight during raids and a few of the troop who had not left with Kassim and the majority of their fighting force.

It was kind of amazing, Sinbad’s speech, how he got everyone to believe in him and stay with the cause. So why did he feel bad about it, listening to others give Sinbad praise and getting excited about the future. Many of them went up and thanked the king, a few shaking his hand and conversing with the king, bouncing ideas off if they felt they might help. And before he knew it he was on the outside of the circle looking in as everyone gathered around Sinbad like a beacon in a storm.

Grabbing his shirt right above his heart in an effort to relieve himself of the pain.

“You alright?” Aladdin asked him sympathetically, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. Giving her a noncommittal grunt as he averted his eyes from her kind patient gaze. Aladdin chuckled, “I know he can be a bit intense, blinding even, but underneath all that charm he really does care.”

“Yeah…”

She frowned a bit, obviously upset by Alibaba’s depressed mood. “You know, you were the one to get us this far. Sinbad might be basking in the moment, but it was you who got these people to believe in something bigger, in something better, and when the time comes, it’s going to be you leading them past the finish line.” Aladdin assured him, pulling him close for a hug. Her smell, not the month old rotting animal carcass garnished with moldy cabbage, the good one, washed over him, becoming a comforting presence that made him feel better. Like it wasn’t all bad and he hadn’t fucked up on so many levels.

He was leaning into the touch, trying to steal some of that confident warmth for himself before Aladdin was hurriedly pulling him through a dilapidated doorway, holding him against the wall and looking out of it with worry.

“Aladdi-” Her hand came up to cover his mouth, blocking whatever he was about to say as she held her breath, waiting for something to happen. Morgiana coming in, confusion evident on her face before she too was ushered in and smothered against the wall. Aladdin gave them both the universal signal to be quiet before she resumed her waiting game.

“Oi, Sinbad! So this is where you’ve been hanging out, Lord Moron!” A raspy voice that sounded familiar echoed through the courtyard.

Where did he hear it? It was definitely today but-

“Judar.” Sinbad's voice rang out as well.

Of course! The other Magi, the guy from the meeting with Ahbmad! He could hear the shocked murmurs from the rest of the troop, wanting to run out or at the least peak to make sure things were okay but Aladdin held him back, giving him a single glare for him to stand still and be quiet. So he slinked back in compliance, cowed into submission as Aladdin’s steeled gaze booked no room for argument. The look in her eyes telling him that now was not the time.

She looked to Morgiana, jerking her head in the direction of the ceiling where it had caved in. The fanalis girl gave a determined nod, looking at the hole for a moment before she leaped through to fulfill whatever silent command Aladdin had given her.

Was it just him or could everyone else have a silent conversation with the bluenette?

Maybe it was a Magi thing? But then why could non-Magi do it back?

“-about that kind of thing.” Crap, he wasn’t paying attention to the obviously important conversation going on outside!

“Who knows?” Judar responded to something Sinbad had said, a bit too quiet for Alibaba to hear through the stone walls. “I have no interest in the economy. What I actually have an interest in is war.”

_ War?! _

“They’re powerful, you know, the Kou Empire! We’ve got tons of soldiers and we’ve got five dungeon capturers as well. We’ve even set up a Dungeon Monster Squad!” Monster Squad? Seriously? Was that even possible, to drag one of those things out of a dungeon and somehow tame it? And by the way this Judar guy was saying it, it sounded more like a promised threat hanging just beyond the horizon than him just praising the foreign powers achievements.

“Hey, don’t get the wrong idea!” Alibaba could hear the pout in the other Magi’s voice. “There’s no one that I want to team up with more than you, Sin!” That last part sounded a bit mocking. And judging by Aladdin’s reaction it was meant to be. The woman held herself back with a grimace, gripping her staff just a little bit tighter. “So enough's enough, drop the bimbo she’s only holding you back. Team up with me and let’s conquer this world!” He heard the offer, and correctly assumed that the ‘bimbo’ remark was aimed at Aladdin who rolled her eyes in response.

This was obviously an ongoing struggle between the three. What was it though? Obviously they all had some kind of history, and judging by the dismissive tone Judar was using it wasn’t a pleasant relationship. The whole thing sounded dangerously competitive, an ideological game where the loser could very well lose their life.

_ Crap, I wasn’t paying attention! _

He had been so caught up in trying to decipher the relationship between Aladdin, Sinbad, and Judar that he had stopped listening to the conversation outside.

“Oi, Sinbad, what are hiding?!”

Hiding? Wait! Weren’t they hiding right now?

His answer came in the form of an apologetic smile from Aladdin before he was traitorously shoved out the door. Lading in a heap on the ground as everyone looked at him in confusion, Judar’s open-mouthed expression landed somewhere between disbelief and boredom as he looked at Alibaba without an ounce of recognition. He watched Alibaba with a languid stare, like a feral cat on a roof ledge looking down at the people on the street. His eyes traced up to his previous hiding spot before Aladdin fed him to the wolves, where Aladdin was still hiding.

Did he know?

The black-haired Magi’s eyes glowed an unsettling red, still looking at the doorway before falling back down to Alibaba who had yet to move. Boredom shifted to an amused derisive smirk as the pieces fell into place.

“Weren’t you the guy Ahbad was bullying this afternoon!?” The guy laughed, an obnoxious noise that both grated on Alibaba’s nerves and put him down at the same time. “You were howling in like a crying brat, but he wouldn’t give you the time of day! How pathetic is that?” He continued to laugh at Alibaba who was still on the ground, going so as far to point and laugh more. Making the poor boy who was just trying his best feel worse with every exhale.

“He is not pathetic.” A voice, Aladdin's, defended him, coming out from the doorway. Her frigid gaze would have frozen anyone else in a block of ice a meter thick but Judar just smirked, like it was all a game to him. “He knew all along he might not be acknowledged. But he still went to do what no one else had dared to do before all because he cares. Alibaba is brave.” She finished calmly, stating it all as fact while never breaking eye contact with her fellow Magi.

“Found yah.” Judar smiled, all teeth and not at all friendly. No longer paying attention to Alibaba or Sinbad, focused solely on Aladdin with a burning intensity. “I’ve known you’ve had a screw loose for some time, turning senile in your old age, but you can’t seriously think this twerp's got potential?” Judar chuckled under his breath, shaking his head from side to side as if Aladdin was younger inexperienced of the two, his long black hair swishing as he did so. “Not that promising to me.” He stated under his breath, pulling something out of his robes before he sent Alibaba flying into Aladdin.

The woman caught him mid-flight before she herself was sent flying backwards as well, unable to stop Alibaba’s flight without possibly hurting him in the process. The two crashed into the building, making the old structure collapse around them while everyone outside screamed in panic. Dust was flying everywhere as Alibaba coughed.

“Are you alright?” Aladdin asked him, he couldn’t see her but he could feel her worried grip on his arm.

“Yeah.” He hacked out, trying to brush the dust particles in the air away from his face. It felt like his ribs had been broken but he would worry about that later.

Aladdin left his side, giving him a quick squeeze before she went. The sound of arguing could be heard but Alibaba was more worried about trying to breathe. Someone else soon joined his side and helped him up.

“Are you alright, Alibaba-san?” Morgiana asked, the dust clearing just a bit to reveal that the stone dwelling they had previously hidden in was reduced to rubble.

“Yeah, I think. Where’s-” Morgiana dashed out of the way, carrying Alibaba princess style as a massive chunk of ice smashed into where they had previously been hiding.

Alibaba was seriously confused, trying to find Aladdin or Sinbad for any clue of what to do while Morgiana sat him down. Something glimmering in his eye, a small butterfly of light that quickly flew by to Aladdin, joined by another and another. But she wasn’t the only one.

The creatures were doing the same to Judar, gathering around him and whipping the air with their intensity.

The two stood opposite, sizing the other up. Their postures tense as they waited for the other to move first. And belatedly Alibaba realized the Fog Troop’s place of gathering was no longer an area to discuss ideas and organize their next move.

It had become a battlefield.

As quickly as the creatures came, they left. Leaving the two Magi alone on the old stones. Everything was quiet, no one moved or even dared to breathe. The tension so thick you could cut it with a knife.

“Guess I’ll start the show then,” Judar said, rocketing into the air as more of those giant ice spears formed. “Sarg Arsarros!” He shouted, sending the spears flying towards Aladdin who had yet to even blink.

She tapped the ground once with her staff, a massive column of earth and stone rising up. It arched through the air, smashing through the brittle projectiles of ice with ease before colliding with Judar. “Is that all you got!” He bellowed, his face excited as his borg fought for dominance with the dirt. “Is this piddling spell the best you can do?!” He taunted, clearly winning as he forced the attack back.

“No alone,” Aladdin stated calmly, watching the struggle with composed confidence Alibaba could never dream of matching in a life or death duel.

“Alone?” Judar questioned to himself, wondering what his opponent had in mind before they all found out. The second column of stone came up from behind to complete the arch, smashing into the yellow orb protecting the airborne Magi and dividing his attention on two fronts. The sound of something cracking and a massive cloud of dust obscured the crowds' view.

“Did she get him?” Alibaba looked to Morgiana, the two now joined by the trio from Sindria who looked like they wanted to help.

“No,” Ja’far stated, dread pooling in all their stomach as Judar angrily stared down at Aladdin. The two earthen columns' ends broken and cracked from where they lost the duel.

Lightning crackled around Judar’s wand, “Ramz Al-Salos!” He bellowed in rage, his electric attack shattering the pillars and sending massive chunks flying. Everyone was screaming as they tried to avoid the falling stone.

“The houses” Alibaba cried as he watched the second arc begin to crack and fall under its own weight and damage, having risen from some far street it hung precariously over the house of the undoubtedly terrified slum residents who were seconds away from losing their homes if not their lives.

“Look,” Sinbad commanded them, his voice stopping some of the panic as people watched with relief when the stones stopped their fall. Gathering around Aladdin where they were compressed into over a hundred tiny pebbles.

“What are you planning you-”

“Risasat al'ard.” Aladdin calmly cut off what was undoubtedly an insult, flicking out her index finger and sending the pebbles through the air like a shooting star. The impacts they made with Judar’s borg sending out shockwaves of air and actually embedded themselves in the yellow shield, spider web cracks spreading all over as more and more smashed in with similar results.

Judar’s face was enraged as he was forced to dodge as more and more whizzed by, diving into a street so Aladdin wouldn’t see him. But it wasn’t enough. Aladdin merely directed them into a low orbit before they came crashing down, punching through the streets with a booming crack as they dug small holes several inches deep into the ground. Only stopping when Judar came to hover over someone's house.

The older teen smirked when he realized Aladdin wouldn’t attack him if innocents could get in the way. “What’s wrong?” He taunted, mist gathering above his head as he prepared another attack, this time much bigger. “The weak holding you back?” He screamed with maniacal glee, not aiming at Aladdin but the area around Aladdin. Trying to give himself some breather room while Aladdin defended the people.

Without a second thought, she utilized the projectiles she had left to smash the ice spears to a fine powder. But unless she wanted to tear up more of Balbadd, she would soon run out of projectiles. 

Swinging her staff in a circle around her hands, she gathered more of those butterfly creatures, rukh his brain supplied him.

“Is she going to attack with magoi?” Ja’far wondered aloud confused.

“What’s wrong with magoi?” Alibaba asked, watching as hundreds of orbs of light shot off from the tip of Aladdin’s staff to smash through the ice.

“Nothing,” Sinbad elaborated, “But against another Magi…”

The orbs were now more numerous than the spears of ice, smashing through them before they could even form. Many more flew off into space where they dissipated, but a few hit Judar, washing harmlessly against his borg.

“What? Are you seriously going senile? Are you turning into the old man?” Judar laughed.

“Normally,” Sinbad began, watching Aladdin with a concentrated gaze as he tried to figure out her plan. She was beginning to breathe a bit harder, her breath fogging in the cool night air as more and more of those orbs went off into the ether. “Normally it would be a fair attack, even by a regular magician, but against a Magi, it’s useless.”

“Why?” Stupid question, Alibaba knew that, but if it was so useless why was she doing it?

Sinbad must have mistaken his question because he sighed, a long-suffering sigh like he was dealing with a child. “Because a Magi is protected by the rukh, their borgs are nearly indestructible but most attacks, even physical, will at least be softened by the rukh. So something as simple as balls of magoi are going to do nothing.” He finished, licking his lips as he tried to peer into Aladdin’s mind, find out what her strategy was.

“Block this, you bitch!” Judar yelled, somehow finding fun in the situation. Several balls of flame lighting up the night sky.

“No!” Sinbad exclaimed, the balls of magoi doing nothing to the flames that only continued to grow. “Everyone, get to cover!” Sinbad ordered, already dragging Morgiana and him towards cover.

“Wait why?” Alibaba asked yet another stupid question.

“If those things hit they’ll most likely explode.”

“What!” Alibaba shrieked, stopping to turn to Aladdin who was still firing off magoi with gritted determination. His hand clutching the hilt of his knife, feeling so useless as Aladdin defended them all.

_ Wait a minute! _ Alibaba thought to himself, realization hitting him as he looked to Amon. The sword glowed, the eight-pointed star shining bright even under the scabbard.

“Alibaba!” Someone shouted as he made up his mind, running towards Aladdin as the first ball of fire came at her. “Amon!” He called, wicks of flame coming up to answer his summons as he prepared to test his stupid idea. If Amon was a sword of fire, then maybe he could absorb some of the heat, or at least deflect it. Either way, it was worth a shot.

“Alibaba what are you doing?!” It was Sinbad, the man’s face angry as he tightly gripped the boy’s arm to yank him to safety and out of Aladdin’s way.

“But I can help!” He protested. Trying to struggle free but Sinbad’s grip was firm, if anything it tightened while Alibaba tried to break loose.

“We need to get to safety, you’ll just be in Aladdin way if-”   
  


“Look out!” Someone else shouted, the ball of flame now bearing down on them like a slow-moving comet, they could feel the intense heat even from here. Aladdin stopped her attack at some point, now staring intently at the expanding wall of flame quickly approaching them. Guess Sinbad was wrong on the exploding, it was going to crush them. regardless, it was still going to kill them all nonetheless.

The next thing he knew, Alibaba was hit by something hard and fast from behind, then colliding with Sinbad as they were shoved to safety inside another building. “Are you okay?” Morgiana asked for the nth time today, helping Alibaba up.

“What about Aladdin?” He cried, rushing to the door to see Aladdin with her eyes closed in concentration, skin pale and clammy while the wall of flame was mere meters from impact.’

“Aladdin!” It was Sinbad who screamed this time, shoving his way past and making a dash for Aladdin.

“Oi Sinbad!” Alibaba called out. While his hero was indeed incredible and managed to block Alibaba’s fire attacks without a metal vessel of his own during their fight at the hotel, he doubted the legend would last long, or even at all, against a flaming ball of that magnitude.

“Salasil alkhatm!” Aladdin called out, the fire mere inches from her before it was snuffed out. Vanished into nothing like it had never even been there. The only evidence the unnatural heat emanating from the stones that were already cooling in the cool night.

“What did she...” Alibaba looked around, trying to spot what she had done to stop Judar’s attack.

“Look!” Morgiana spoke behind him, somehow managing to keep calm though a hint of agitation could be heard in her voice. High above them, Judar’s defense had become his prison, dozens of massive golden chains anchored him to the air itself and prevented him from moving.

“How did she..” Alibaba wondered aloud, and then he realized it. The magoi balls weren’t just her spamming attacks, she was setting up the board for her next move. That’s why she kept going even when it proved ineffective, she was loading the air for her attack.

“Oi, blue bimbo! What the hell did you do?!” Judar screeched from his prison above them, wildly throwing his wand about and shouting spell after spell to no effect. Jerking about and rattling the magic constructs, making golden dust fall like snow from his struggles. The trail of rukh that had been flying about them seemed confused as they tried to navigate around the chains.

“Salasil alkhatm is a spell meant to kill spells, strong enough to trap a Magi even,” Aladdin explained with a calm smile, holding a hand out to let some of the golden dust fall into her hand before dissipating. “It makes it hard for the rukh to communicate and disrupts commands, so if a spell is still being cast it will be forced to stop as if it never began.”

“Hah!” Judar looked at her enraged, wild, feral even. Alibaba gulped, once that spell wore off he was going to be free and he was going to be pissed. And Aladdin didn’t look like she could cast another one, she looked a second away from collapsing. He was screaming from his confines, the chains groaning as they worked to contain him.

“This has been fun Judar but I think it’s time to end this.” Aladdin declared, holding her staff with both hands, palms raised up as she focused, the rukh around her intensifying as she readied her next spell.

“METHUSELAH!”

The ground shook as a massive tree, bigger than the one she made to fight the hyacinth back outside of Qishan, burst forth, it’s trunk so big it took up a city block, most of which was thankfully abandoned. It’s boughs and branches swayed on their own, looking almost like it was breathing while vibrant green leaves sprouted along their length. Gentle white flowers blossomed, their petals scattering on the wind before they were quickly replaced.

“What are you gonna do, choke me on petals!” Judar sneered, the chains looking worse and worse for wear as he continued to jostle them. “When I get out of- what the!”

Judar was cut off as a massive root rose up to wrap around his borg, the massive tendril joined by another and another as they began to crush their entangled prey. Judar continued to scream and bellow from his confines, the sound of glass cracking and the cackling of wild energy filling the air as Aladdin fought to end this before her chains wore off.

“I’LL KILL YOU!” Judar screamed, the sound more akin to an injured wild animal before the roots finally won. The sound of breaking glass followed what could only be described as a cannon firing. A clap of air that washed over them all before the fight was won.

* * *

_ Shit! _ Aladdin thought to herself, her staff cracking against the stone ground as she struggled to support herself. Sinbad is by her side in an instant, practically lifting her off the ground he was so worried. She had really done it now. Methuselah and salasil alkhatm were both spells that dwelled between grand and extreme magic depending on the situation, and she was lucky to still be conscious at the moment.

_ Shit! _ Sinbad was trying to say something. Her ears were ringing and even though she could read lips her blurred vision made even that impossible. She was dwindling on the brink and all she could hope for was that everything would be okay until she healed.

But luck seemed to have a vendetta against her as something heavy crashed into the ground, followed by the sound of screaming as people were once more under attack.

* * *

“I can see the rabbles had a field day tormenting our sweet Judar-kun,” Kougyoku noted, her calm demeanor a mere facade to the raging beast that thrashed against its cage. They hadn’t seen the battle, but judging by its aftermath the crowd either must have had a powerful magician or a dungeon conqueror, and neither was acceptable. She needed everything to go according to Kouen-niisan's plans.

“We managed to save him in the nick of time, didn’t we?” Her first and most trusted friend, Ka Koubun chimed beside her.

“But he’s seriously injured. You’d better make sure to heal him. We can’t let the oracle of the empire die, it would be a disaster.” She gave the order to Koubun, letting him get to work while she dealt with the rabble.

“Enshin, Entai, Engi, get rid of them all.” She ordered the latest batch of Kou’s supersoldiers. Years of research into dungeon monsters and the various creatures that wandered their world now ready to take the spotlight on the world's stage.

The three made quick work of the riff-raff, but they were only to draw out her true target, the one that had dared to hurt her friend. It seemed that their opponents had a few that could contend with their cream of the crop, though it looked like they were giving it their all while their men were merely testing the waters.

“Ah, Hime-sama, I believe that is the one you are looking for.” Ka Koubun lifted a finger to point towards a woman before getting back to work.

Said woman in question was directing the plant whose limbs and roots began to work like a giant octopus, constraining her subordinates. Entai was being held back by the roots, too slow to evade them but strong enough to break them while he fought against a red and gold blur. Engi simply danced with his opponent, slicing at the wooden tendrils that came for him with ease. Enshin meanwhile was having the most ease, deftly dodging the striking limbs that shot out to meet him, his more clumsy primate subordinates were not so lucky as they were quickly speared by the sharpshooting limbs. But she had her target now.

Pulling out the pin of her hair ornament she began. “My servant of Sorrow and Isolations, I command thee and thy sacred brethren. Use my magoi and lend tremendous power to my will. Appear Vinea!” She completed the incantation, the magician must have sensed her because three large roots were shooting through the air to attack.

Too late, as she leapt over them, stripping them of their water and rendering them useless as she built up her momentum. Her sword took shape midway on her descent before she clashed with the magician’s borg. Something was off.

“Oh, you’re quite the hard one to crack,” She taunted, her blood pumping in anger and excitement, “Such as I should expect from the person who defeated Judar-kun!” She commented calmly, using the water she had stolen to propel her further. The borg beginning to buckle and crack while the magician grit her teeth in concentration. Something flickered in her eye.

_ No, I will not be distracted by some trick! _

With one final push, she cracked through the borg, disorienting the magician as her defense backfired, giving her mental whiplash once it was destroyed. Kougyoku’s blade pierced through flesh and clothing.  “Oh,” She remarked, looking at the woman’s bleeding hand that had gripped her sword blade to prevent it from going further. The rest of it was buried deep in her side and poked through, just under the ribs and too shallow for Kougyoku’s liking. “Still got some fight?”

The woman was breathing hard, obviously weakened from her fight with Judar-kun, and now about to die from Kougyoku’s vengeance.

“Don’t think this is all my pow-er…” Blue eyes that blazed hotter than any sun locked onto her, freezing Kougyoku in her tracks and evaporating any rage she might have had left. Fear racing through her veins like ice water as she tugged on the blade and found it sufficiently stuck. Watching fixated in terror as the woman, no monster, cocked back her staff for a strike, twisting her body and worsening her own wound as blood spurted out. A typhoon had nothing on the swirling rage caught in her eyes, threatening to break free and send Kougyoku into oblivion. The crook of the woman’s staff lighting up as energy raced along the wood, swinging it with gritted determination right for Kougyoku’s head.

  
_ Oh... _ She realized,  _ I’m going to die... _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those wondering what happened at the end of the bath scene, I will say that Sinbad did join Aladdin (there's a reason his wet dreams are so vivid) and nothing sexual remotely happened as it became too cramped for anything to happen, much less something sexy.
> 
> No idea on when I'll get the next chapter done but I'm probably gonna skip a lot of things cause the big changes I made to the overall canon story kinda fall in line with actual cannon for a brief moment, and I don't wanna just write what happens with a minor spin cause that's boring so now I have to actually invent plot which is almost as painful as writing a working riddle, it's just marginally better.
> 
> I found out the Japanese voice actor for Kouen is the same voice for Nozaki-kun from Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun and I don't know what to do with that information. Also, the Japanese voice actor for Aladdin does Shouta-kun from Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid and I also don't know what to do with that. But I'll figure something.
> 
> New spells and their meanings:
> 
> -Risasat al'ard = bullet earth  
>  -salasil alkhatm = sealing chains  
>  -Methuselah = the current oldest living tree in North America to my knowledge, an old bristlecone that lives in California.
> 
> Thanks for all the kudos and comments, they really mean a lot.
> 
> See you next time on Dragon Ball Z!


	13. The Calm Before the Storm

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The gang starts on the path to recovery following the disastrous fight with Judar

A storm, that’s what they were, her eyes a storm of unbridled fury trapped in sharp blue jewels. But there was a crack in her mortal form and the energy held back found release. Electric sparks crackled along the staff tip, glowing bright like a beacon as it grew in intensity.

Five seconds…

She was going to die. She had leaped into the fray and attacked the woman who had hurt her friend without a second thought for what her opponent was capable of.

Four seconds…

But could anyone blame her? She had arrived near the palace, tired and irritated from hours of flying, while her nerves twisted and coiled around her in her mind like a venomous snake at the prospect of marrying a man she knew nothing about other than his current occupation. And then she saw the commotion, the trails of rukh and wild magic before a giant monster tree heralded the finale.

Three seconds…

They hurried once they got over their shock, only a powerful magic user could cast something like that. They watched, horrified, from a distance as the massive roots coiled around Judar-kun like some abyssal colossus before cracking his shell and crushing him beneath powerful tendrils of wood. 

The fear she felt then paled in comparison to the cold shard of terror that had wedged its way into her heart.

Two seconds…

A massive tangle of angry roots that had to be cut, Judar-kun was still trapped in that mass of brambles up above but in the moment all she could think was that she wasn’t going to see him if they got him out, or if he was even alive in there.

No. She couldn’t afford to think like that. Kouen-niisan would face death with honor, so would she.

One second…

She could feel the energy racing along the wood, a fingers width away from connecting with her neck and about to do Solomon knew what. Maybe her head would go flying, maybe she’d burst into flames. Who could say at this point.

Time stood still.

All Kougyoku knew was that one minute her neck felt like it was mashed against the sun, arcs of potent energy frying the skin and turning it red, and the next a powerful jet of air blasted past her, making the apparition of death vanish.

“Are you alright, Ojou-sama?” Enshin bowed behind her, the ape man having abandoned his fight to save the Kou royal not even a second from death. Her brain was still stuck in the past as she tried to comprehend what was going on around her. Shock made it so that she couldn’t even hear or see the fighting and shouting still going on around her. The moon could have fallen from orbit and threatened to squash them all into paste and she wouldn’t have seen it coming.

“Whe-where is the woman, Enshin?” She asked, voice shaking and posture limp as her blank eyes looked for the incarnation of doom, unable to understand more than five feet in front of her, everything seemed so vast and far away.

Enshin hesitated, unsure of how to proceed. Kougyouku was clearly in no state to continue and was severely burnt on her neck, the miracle of adrenaline the ape human hybrid marveled. Common sense dictated that he pull the princess into a tactical retreat, however, princess or not the young woman was a general of the Imperial Army and his direct superior, not to mention a capable dungeon capturer and excellent swordsman in her own right. Swallowing what hesitation he had, he pointed to the cloud of dust that had formed around the woman after Enshin had kicked her. A deep crater from her impact set loose rubble to bounce off her unconscious form.

Kougyoku stalked forward on shaky legs, slowly gaining confidence with each painstaking step. Raising her sword above her head as she got closer, repeating the mantra ‘ _ I have to finish this’ _ in her head over and over. Turning the blade down as she readied to stab the woman, right through the heart to finish this. A bead of sweat ran down her cheek, stopping at her chin before dipping off to plink against the dusty stone floor.

She looked so peaceful, so unlike the pure aspect of feral rage and cold determination mere moments ago. Her head rested between the wall and her shoulder, as if she had just settled down for a nap, long delicate lashes tickled her pale cheeks. Her arms folded neatly over her abdomen obscured the bleeding wound beneath folds of beautiful cotton fabric. Her chest gently rising and falling as she slumbered. The only indication that alluded to anything being remiss was her furrowed brow, the knitted flesh above her eyes made her seem deep in worry as she tried to force her consciousness to the surface.

“My servant of Sorrow and Isolation…” She intoned without thought, a deep primal fear that laced her thoughts whispered that she should finish it, end it, before the woman could stand and fight back. “I command thee and thy sacred brethren. Envelop yourself all around me, and take shelter within me…” Water gathering around her as she felt the soothing energy fill her, replacing doubt and fear with a hungry drive to finish this. “Transform my whole body into that of a great magus, Vinea.” She finished, bringing the blade down right for the woman’s heart.

A blinding pain gripped at her arm, stopping her thrust midway with the tip of her blade touching the soft fabric over the woman’s chest but not cutting through. It was both searing and crushing. Her eyes finding the large clenched hand that emanated light like a blazing star, it was the source of her pain, the only reason she wasn’t screaming was due to shock and the universes stubborn refusal to allow her to turn to dust and leave the earthly plane.

She followed that hand, tracing over sinewy muscles and glowing veins that fed magoi into the appendage. Eyes wandering over the shoulders, not taking in the intricate opulent clothes and just recognizing that they were being worn. Tracing up the strong jaw that was clenched tight as her gaze searched the face of her assailant for their eyes, the window into the soul.

And she regretted that decision immediately.

If the woman before had been a summer storm, blowing in and doing as much damage as possible before vanishing without a trace… This man was a typhoon that blew in once every hundred and fifty years, sending in twenty foot waves miles up the countryside and flooding every lowland valley and crevice as he transformed the landscape in a fit of rage. Trees uprooted, buildings were obliterated, and thousands of lives lost in the wake of his cold fury.

His golden eyes were a blazing nova of energy that threatened to swallow her very existence in their intensity. Her djinn equip melted, and she didn’t fight it. Shouts erupting all around her as she fell, joining the woman she had nearly killed within Morpheus’ realm of sleep. Her mind unprepared for the sheer intensity and power of her latest opponent.

* * *

To say Sinbad was furious was an understatement. Words could not and never would be able to express how he felt as he ran for Aladdin, determined to do something as fighting raged around him.

The enemy had a metal vessel user and hordes of monstrous soldiers that were wreaking havoc on the remaining Fog Troop. Sinbad cursed his current state of affairs, tasting blood as he tore through the inside of his cheek as he dodged fighting to get closer to Aladdin. The fight with Judar had taken a toll on her and it was showing.

Her skin was pale and clammy, her breaths deep and labored, and even a mile away Sinbad would have been able to see the tremor in how she held herself up, the shaking of her arms as she supported herself with her staff. The way she swayed as she fought to keep standing, as if a gentle breeze would knock her over.

“Aladdin,” he practically screamed in her face, pulling her into his arms whilst the ground shook from the trees efforts to halt the attacks, great roots sweeping aside soldiers and carrying civilians to safety. Tendrils shot up from the earth to ensnare targets that leaped out of the way with deadly grace. “I’m getting you out of here!” He cried over the melee, ready to carry Aladdin princess style to safety when it happened.

But Aladdin pushed him out of the way, surprising him with the strength she still had before he was forced to brace himself.

Air buffeted him and sent dust and small rocks flying as a metal vessel user clashed with Aladdin’s borg, the rukh slow on the upswing to help the weakened Magi. But before they could get to her, the magic buckled, it cracked with a sickening sound like bone shattering in the most brutal fashion.

Sinbad sat paralyzed as Aladdin was stunned. A magician’s borg was their greatest defense, but if it was broken they became vulnerable in more than one way. The series of commands that was running through the back of their mind caused them to become momentarily stunned and open for attack.

Terror and despair lanced through him, not unlike the blade that was now embedded in Aladdin’s side, any deeper and she would have severe organ damage. Only through sheer willpower did Aladdin prevent her opponent from doing further damage, holding the blade still with a death grip that cut her hand and made her bleed. Panic taking over as Aladdin readied her counter, worsening her wound as she reared back to strike, blood spurting freely like a fountain.

What transpired next happened too quickly for even Sinbad’s trained eye. At one moment, Aladdin was a second away from hitting a hole in one in what could have been the world’s bloodiest game of golf. And the next, there was a gust of wind and Aladdin was gone.

Sinbad’s first reaction was to look around wildly for her, searching the skies first for some hope that she had shot up in the last second. Eyes darting around before he caught something red and blue in the corner of his eye. The Kou Princess poised to strike while Aladdin lay unconscious, managing to appear serene and ethereal despite the chaos of their current surroundings and her own battles.

He acted, not even recognizing that he had crossed the distance between himself and the princess, grabbing her wrist and pumping magoi into the proffered limb in a numb haze. He didn’t let go when she slumped unconscious, he kept pumping in more and more, feeling the skin under his palm blister and burn as he maintained the steady flow. Watching with an apathetic gaze as her comatose face twisted in dull recognition of the pain, her young aristocratic features morphed before his mind’s eye. Her hair turned a sleek mossy green, her closed eyes opening to reveal red eyes glinting victoriously up at him with mocking malice. Soft silken robes moved like water, melting away from a long opulent dress to shining brass armor.

His grip tightened further, the bone close to snapping while the skin and blood blistered and boiled under his touch. His face transforming into rage incarnate when her metamorphosis into Barbarossa finished, prepared to fry her body to a crisp. The scene around him molding into the past when he had stumbled upon Aladdin, defeated physically and broken mentally, too late. His first real taste of war and the high cost it bore.

The only thing that prevented him from fulfilling his twisted fantasy of reducing  Barbarossa the princess to a burnt carcass was Ja’far, his advisor’s hand held him back in more ways than one but did not disrupt the constant trickle of energy that was burning the princess up from the inside out. The freckled man’s face fearful, truly terrified as he looked into Sinbad’s cold impassive gaze so reminiscent of the ex-assassin's life before he met Sinbad and Aladdin, pleading for Sinbad to stop before he went too far and truly regretted it.

“What would Aladdin do?” Ja’far’s voice cracked and shook, licking his lips while further indignation boiled in Sinbad’s stomach like a blazing furnace, Ja’far’s words stoking the inner flame.

How dare he, how dare any of them sit back and let this happen. All of them acting like fools while Aladdin danced on a knife's edge with death. People starving in the street under a corrupt government that didn’t care for them, willing to sell them off to the Kou empire under a farce of a political marriage. And what did they do?!

But as he looked at Ja’far, the image changed, the pale advisor morphing into Aladdin, asking him to step back and breathe.

And so he did. Dropping the girl’s arm and finally letting her slump to the ground like a dead man, silently watching as she was swiftly taken away by the ape hybrid. The courtyard was deathly silent while the Kou delegation quickly made a retreat on the double. Everyone, enemies and allies, shot fearful looks Sinbad’s way as he silently picked Aladdin up, taking a moment to gently cradle her limp head into the crook of his shoulder before walking away, not sparing anyone or anything behind him a second glance.

* * *

In the privacy of his room, Alibaba patched up his wounds, bandaging minor cuts and scrapes. Most worryingly, he had a large burn on his stomach from where that Judar guy had sent him flying, which was weird because at the time he could have sworn the blast was cold, freezing even.

But then, he had been lucky, hadn’t he. Aladdin had fought Judar and won but looked like she would fall over if she so much as sneezed. He’d probably be dead by a million stab wounds if Aladdin hadn’t commanded the tree to fight with them.

And then that metal vessel user, the Imperial Kou Princess, injured Aladdin, nearly slicing his friend in half with that insane sword made of water.

_ Too weak. _

The image of Aladdin vanishing after that monkey guy’s kick hurt more than his physical wounds. The knowledge that he had barely done more than stand around and get in Aladdin’s way hurt worse than the still stinging burn on his stomach.

_ Couldn’t do anything. _

The blond smiled in the privacy of his room, hands falling from their task as he recalled what happened mere hours ago. Sinbad, King of Sindria, Conqueror of the Seven Seas, Dungeon Capturer extraordinaire, strode over to the metal vessel user, unarmed, and incapacitated her with a touch. He made all of them retreat with that one simple action before carrying Aladdin away like the hero of the story.

_ What does that make you? _

Except the maiden was standing on the precipice of death because he couldn’t help.

_ Will never be good enough. _

Because he couldn’t grasp the simple concept of using his metal vessel.

_ Why even bother, you’ll never get there. _

He pulled out the blade, looking at his reflection in the candlelight, brushing a few rogue strands of hair from his face before smiling at his mirror self. He turned the blade over, watching the metal glint and shine in the dim light, pulling out a whet stone and getting to work with practiced ease. The motions therapeutic after years of maintaining his prized blade since the day he acquired it. The dark thoughts of failure and inadequacy didn’t vanish, but rather became muted, present at the back of his mind but blessedly remained silent.

The gentle repeated motions drew his attention, blocking out the outside world as well.

“Li… bab... san… Aliba… Alibaba!” Morgiana somewhat shouted right by his ear, shaking him violently and making him flail about, swinging Amon in the air like a child who had yet to grasp how deadly any weapon could be no matter how small.

“Alibaba-san, is everything alright?” Morgiana looked at him in concern, large bags under her eyes from lack of sleep and mounting worry, her voice hoarse from going so long without taking a break.

They were all worried. Aladdin was laid out and didn’t look like she was going to wake up anytime soon

“Yeah,” He vigorously responded, putting on a fake smile to relieve some of Morgiana’s burden with little success, “Did you need anything?”

_ Crap! _ He internally panicked, realizing that while he’d been moping in his room, licking his minuscule wounds, Morgiana had actively been working to help the others recover. The fanalis girl helped to apply bandages and hand out medicine or food while he played hide and seek with what could generously be called paper cuts.

She cocked her head to the side, looking at him like she thought he had a screw loose, before shaking her head, clearing whatever train of thought was running through her overworked brain. “I was just asking if you needed more bandages.”

“Ah, no I’m good! Got everything covered!” He threw a thumbs up her way, hoping she didn’t catch the wince that made a brief appearance from lifting his arm up.

“Are you sure?”

“Yeah why? Is everything okay?” It was his turn to look concerned.

“It’s just-” The redhead stuttered, trying to find the words as she shuffled from foot to foot. “You were a bit out of it there for a second, I asked you several times if you needed anything and each time I came by to check you were still working on your knife.” She finished, looking out at him through her bangs.

He thickly swallowed, drumming his fingers on his knees while trying to find the right words to say to make Morgiana stop worrying about him.

“Yeah… just wondering about how I can improve…” He didn’t want to think about the information Sahmad had given them, about selling Balbadd’s citizens off like cattle to be slaves, a lie by omission. Without Aladdin, there really wasn’t anyone else who knew how to train him, who knew how a djinn worked.

Silence fell as their shadows danced across the wall, flickering in the candle light. Neither knew what to do about Alibaba’s particular problem.

“What about Sinbad?” Morgiana propositioned, looking like she had just been forced to swallow a gallon of lemon juice.

Alibaba gaped at Morgiana who still looked uncomfortable with the idea for whatever reason, looking everywhere but in Alibaba’s direction, lips pursed and eyes narrowed in displeasure.

“You're a genius Morgiana!” He exclaimed while hugging her, rocking back and forth he was so overjoyed. Why hadn’t he thought of that? “Do you think he would help me?” He asked her holding her shoulders while he looked into her eyes, doubt and worry that Sinbad would think helping some kid from the slums wouldn't be worth it.

“I think Aladdin would make him help.” Morgiana sighed after a moment of trepidation, more so to herself than to Alibaba. She was about to suggest he wait before going off to find the king, not knowing what to think of his display of power earlier. The man had an uncanny way of subverting her expectations of him at every moment and it only succeeded in deepening her mistrust of him. From pervert to fallen king to a man capable of nearly killing a foregin noble, a noble that had nearly succeeded in killing the strongest woman the young fanalis knew. And all of this without his metal vessels.

And with Aladdin in her current conditions and the way Sinbad had left the scene of conflict, Morgiana wasn’t sure it was safe to approach the distraught man.

But before she could voice her concerns and wait for him to be in a more agreeable state, Alibaba left to go and find the king.

* * *

Aladdin was quiet, the picture of calm. Her hands laced across her stomach, arms covering the bandages that peeked out of her tattered and damaged robes. But despite the battle and its outcome, not a speck of dust or a single drop of blood could be found on her unconscious form. Sinbad had seen to that after he had dressed and cleaned her wounds, delicately dabbing a moistened cloth to clean her skin and clothing.

The gentle moonlight filtering in through a window on high, the only source of light in the room, bathing the silent woman in an ethereal glow. Sinbad had undone her braid, the usually neat construct falling apart and fraying after her fight, he had opted to comb the long strands out and let them pool over the edge. He had tried looking for a change of clothes but Aladdin only had the one set she currently wore. Her veil which had thankfully remained undamaged was neatly folded under her head to act as a pillow.

Now he sat watching her, waiting with bated breath for her to wake up from this death like sleep, the gentle rise and fall of her chest as she breathed peacefully the only indication that she was alive.

It was an alien scene, so distant and far away from her usual deep slumber, by now Aladdin would have fallen out of bed in search of someone or something to snuggle, holding tight like an infant koala. But neither was it like her disturbing rest where she kept her eyes open, Sinbad would have much preferred that right now.

No, it was just... peaceful.

Too peaceful in fact. Like when something was too symmetrical it grated at the back of the mind, throwing off warning signs that something was unnaturally wrong.

Every other second Sin had to reassure himself that she was still breathing, that she still had a pulse, running his hand along the crown of her head to feel her warmth.

He tried to rack his brains for anything else he could do, looking for something that would wake her up or make him feel like he was doing something at least. He was going crazy in this room all by himself, the walls and floor vanishing to leave him alone with Aladdin.

At some point his hands, unbidden, took Aladdin’s, grasping her fingers tightly as if he were a drowning man in a storm. Placing his lips to her knuckles and counting every second, every breath, until she woke up and told him she was fine with a smile on her face. Waiting for the teasing remark that if he worried too much he’d start to get wrinkles before he turned thirty.

A dry chuckle escaped his lips at the last thought, he was twenty nine this year, she’d have to up the age limit at this rate. Would she start using thirty five as the new marker or just jump in to comparisons between him and a sixty year old man.

He barely registered the knock at the door. Assuming it to be Ja’far with some new remedy or news on the situation. The last time the pale advisor had come in, he came with smelling salts that did jack all and only made Sinbad angrier as Aladdin stubbornly refused to wake up, dismissing the advisor and telling him not to come back unless he had a solution that worked. Normally he might have felt some guilt after his outburst, but even now after he had cooled somewhat, all he felt was numb.

A full minute of listening to the person speak before he recognized it as the ramblings of Alibaba, not paying any attention, humming every now and then to facilitate that he had heard whatever it was Alibaba was talking about. He let out a sigh of relief once the boy had left, the door slamming shut in celebration.

Tired eyes traced up to the moon peeking in through an open window as he vaguely recalled what he had just heard, brows furrowing as realization swam up through the muck in his head.

“What did I just agree to?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next will be mostly from Aladdin's perspective as she traces through her unconscious mind and I'm thinking this will be a three parter to better help the flow of events. I have a rough draft of ideas for what's going on but with finals coming and everything due I don't know when I'll get the opportunity to post an update.
> 
> Stay safe, practice social distancing, drink lots of water, and hopefully I'll see ya'll soon!


	14. The Lost

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aladdin wakes up... well kinda.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dreams is weird.

Aladdin had been in a lot of weird situations before.

Inside of a creature's gut, check.

Seedy brothels and back bars, definitely.

Frozen tundra or scorching desert island, that was a Tuesday afternoon.

But nothing, no fantastical island or majestic mountain range, not the most depraved backwater or bloody battlefield, none of it, would ever compare to what the human psyche could cook up when you went deep enough.

At the moment, she sat atop a miniature giant turtle? Or was it a giant miniature turtle? Or rather actually just an absurdly large turtle? Regardless, the point was she was on the back of a decently sized turtle that was large enough for her to sit comfortably on its back as it drifted through what she could only assume was her warped subconscious, judging by the various other odd other-worldly objects, drifting by on the unseen stream that they all seemed to follow.

Objects that caught her attention in particular were:

A statue of Yamuraiha and Pisti, where the two girls' heads replaced those of two coiling stone serpents, their foreheads pushed together with their eyes closed as if in mourning.

A cloud, or was it a funnily shaped sheep, that continuously chewed on whatever it had in its mouth. She could not see the mouth, she just knew it had one. Occasionally, it opened its mouth to let out a low roar, not unlike a lion yawning after a midday nap.

And a door which appeared to be their current destination, the only thing that remained static in the gentle flow of objects, or at least moved at a slow enough pace it seemed to be standing in pace as she gently floated towards it, waiting patiently for the turtle to reach its destination.

Would it go around the door? Wait and let her get off? Would it crash through or would it turn into some freakish door-turtle hybrid.

The answer was none of the above as Aladdin found herself walking through a long hallway, her mind accepting the change as one does the change in weather, the transitions from clear to cloudy, or vice versa, only recognized once the absence of the other became apparent. And even then, one really had to look to get a small sense of realization that amounted to nothing major.

The hall went on forever, and it was really more of a tunnel, curved walls made of jagged volcanic glass, a myriad of fractured mirrors that glowed in the darkness, illuminating the dark corridor with an alien shine. When she gazed into them, the mirrors, she saw a warped image rather than a blurry reflection. The longer she stared, the stranger it became. The image did not change, the blobs of amorphous fuzz only moved. The change was a ringing in her ears, persistent, that slowly became a voice, or a rather a conversation, muted as if she was hearing it under water.

She hovered her hand over it, fingers a hair's width from touching it, and she could see what lay beneath its surface. A memory, a scene taking shape in her mind as the world melted away, leaving her in a familiar hot, the smell of sheep’s milk and butter, spiced herbal tea. She could feel the rough cotton under her finger as she spun it on the wheel, the ancient wood rattled and wobbled, trying to snatch the strands from her grasp and made it jerk back and forth. The banging of rusted metal from the room over, an ancient voice croaking out curse words that would make a sailor blush at rapid fire.

The world felt like molasses, thick and syrupy as it pulled her through the air. Her hand still hovered over the shining surface that grew brighter and brighter as she stood frozen in a trance.

* * *

“Brat!” Baasan’s voice hollered appearing in the doorway to stand tall, all four feet, with her fists planted firmly on her hips. The old crone had the face of a shrewd chicken that was stuck on displeased no matter what, but Aladdin loved her like a mother.

“Yes?” The teen asked, popping up from her spinning with a confused expression.

“Sheep. Now.” The woman commanded with a grunt, nodding her head to the door. The blood in Aladdin’s face draining at the prospect of the arduous and bone breaking task, silently pleading not to.

“Now.” Baasan said with a quirk of the lip, turning on her heel and getting back to the kitchen, the furious storm of swears bombarding the walls like thunder as she struggled to lift a heavy iron pot.

Aladdin grumbled, putting her spinning wool off to the side, standing up and arching her back, listening to it crack and letting out a satisfied sigh as the vertebra popped. Walking to the door, she let out her own string of silent curses when she stubbed her toe on a board that jutted out from the rest.

“Watch your fucking language, you’re a god damned child, not some halfwit sailor from Partevia, bloody fucking bastards, swinging their shriveled cocks around like brats, salivating over the fucking corpses like bitches in heat…” Aladdin tuned out the swears with ease, by now they had become white noise. It was when the old woman wasn’t swearing and complaining that Aladdin knew to book it and book it fast lest the woman set her to cleaning the house and mucking out the pig pen.

“Hai, hai,” She said halfheartedly, rifling through the various sticks and poles until she found the rickety old shepherd's crook she was after.

“Don’t fucking back sass me you ass worshiping milk drinker, fucking kids these days and their fucking complaints and back talkn’. Back in my day we were thankful-” And on, and on, she went while Aladdin put on a satchel, putting a few rations inside to snack on later, sneaking a few medical supplies in as well. She’d need it all with the task she was about to undertake.

Walking through the door and heading towards the pasture where she knew the sheep liked to graze this early in the afternoon, the sun blazing overhead but was not too warm. She could smell the sea about a mile away from her, the salty taste on the air blending with soft spring flowers and the musty old wood.

She tucked her staff in her armpit, freeing her hands to tie the long expanse of hair into a neat, albeit large, bun.

The journey should have taken her fifteen minutes, yet her current pace felt like she was going for hours, every inch felt like a mile and her legs were getting tired. Something was off and she couldn’t put her finger on it.

The sky was still blue, the trees were still green, small furry animals fucking in the underbrush… nope nothing out of the ordinary.

Maybe she should fly? She had just figured out how to manipulate gravity after all, and yet… she knew it shouldn’t be this long.

Maybe it was the shoes she was wearing, except the issue with that idea was that she never wore shoes. It was a proud fact that she could walk across burning coals and feel nothing.

Eventually though, she crested over the final hill, watching the gargantuan things referred to lovingly as ‘sheep’ by Baasan stomp across the glade. The massive fluffy creature could have easily been mistaken for bison if not for the sheep head that was just a bit larger than average. Normally the massive creatures were docile giants, but for whatever reason every sheep had some supernatural attraction to her. With average sized sheep, this would be no problem, a little jostling, maybe a head butt here and there, but with these fluffy fuckers, oh boy, these bastards charged.

The first sheep that spotted her let out a deep bellowing ‘BAAAAAAHHHH’, more akin a war horn than anything remotely resembling a sheep’s usual noise that any child could name. The alarm bounced off the hills, reverberating for all to hear and scaring several flocks of birds from their roosts, it was like some herald of war signaling for the cavalry to charge, the ground quaking as the herd stampeded.

She was stuck between running, letting them smash against her borg until they tuckered out, or taking to the skies and leading them on a jolly run while they destroyed anything in their wake on their frenzied quest to be near her.

She chose the last, leaping into the air and floating just barely ahead of the flock, going fast enough so that they didn’t trample or smash into each other while they followed her. She flew in long lazy curving patterns, shifting with the breeze and mirroring the natural curves of the hills. The flock right behind her, kicking up clouds of dust but slowly losing steam, a few of the more independent ones had already given up, standing off here and there in groups of three to four munching on grass.

Eventually, they stopped. With the initial hype over, she came down to rest on the ground, making herself comfortable on the fluffy side of one of the old rams, a big brown behemoth with four curving horns worn with age. A fair few of the creatures came up and rested their mammoth heads on her lap, butting sides to get closer to the odd object of their affection.

As above so below, she watched fluffy giants move lazily across the sky, the clouds thankfully having no mind to pay her any attention, much less charge after her with enthusiastic vigor. Many of the sheep herded around her, an island of wool that covered the countryside in a patchwork of white, grey, black and brown.

That same off feeling came to her, this time her limbs felt longer, her chest heavier and her hair felt like it was free from its confines. She was always a moment away from putting her finger on it, the words to describe the off sensation on the tip of her tongue. But every time she blinked or exhaled, the thought was gone, leaving her in the blue as to what was wrong.

Shoving the intrusive thought from her mind, she leaned further into the woolly boulder, letting her mind drift as she stared at the clouds passing over head, absentmindedly wondering what Sinbad was doing at the moment while she tapped her foot against the snout of a napping ewe.

All of the sudden, something thrashed, distantly, muted by the hillside, the sounds of a lamb caught in a bramble snapping her to attention. The noise steadily grew louder, but she could tell the poor lamb hadn’t gotten closer, and the volume didn’t quite increase, it was more of a gut feeling that seemed to be mirrored by the world around her.

She hopped to her feet, leaping up off the grass and onto the back of the old ram, shading her eyes as she tried to pick out the direction from which the infant sheep was crying out for help. That same feeling of wrongness creeping up her spine like a scorpion poised to strike.

Her feet touched down on soft cool grass before she took off in the direction she believed the lamb’s bleated cries for help to be coming from. The feeling of wrongness mounted and only served to speed her up, her insides twisting every which way as she ran.

She only stopped when she met the forest boundary, cautiously looking back to make sure the flock hadn’t gotten too out of hand with her impromptu departure.

Aladdin swallowed the thick lump in her throat when she saw the flock had yet to move, or even take notice of her absence. The hairs on the back of her neck standing to attention as the feeling of **wrong** made itself at home inside her.

“At least they didn’t charge after.” She noted with a hollow chuckle, a paltry effort to calm her nerves before she headed off deeper into the woods.

Twigs snapped, and rocks shifted as she maneuvered through the underbrush. Waving her staff to clear her path of the vines and thorny limbs that blocked her way.

With every step, every second and every breath, the tension mounted in tandem with that feeling of **wrong**.

“Here sheepie sheepie sheepie. Here sheepie.” She sang, the lamb’s cries got both closer and farther away despite her efforts not to change course.

“Are you lost?” She asked rhetorically to the small lost lamb as she played the most terrifying game of hide and seek.

The forest took on a supernatural chill as the feeling got worse, every shadow made her jump, every noise forced her eyes to swivel unbidden in their direction to make sure nothing would pounce at her from the darkness.

The image of something not quite human emblazoned on the back of her eyelids and yet she didn’t know for the life of her where she got it from. Features taunt and twisted, skin stretched over misshapen bones, while jagged lips stretched into a garish grin that failed to cover the monstrous maw of teeth. Razor sharp incisors, tusk like canines, and broken garish molars gleamed bright in the back of her mind.

“There you are!” She exclaimed, voice shaking as she kneeled down to untangle the struggling lamb from the black mesh of thorns and briar it had gotten stuck in.

This particular breed of sheep always birthed average sized lambs, if not a bit on the chunky side, that would gradually grow into their behemoth size. The struggling babes white body contrasted starkly with the forest's black and dreary color scheme.

“Was it always like this?” She questioned with a huff, indicating the forest surroundings that were uncharacteristically dark today, pulling out a knife to cut at the mess of thorn and vine.

Eventually she freed the creature, the fluffy lamb shakily getting to its feet after she set it down, looking up expectantly at her.

“Come on, let’s get out of here.” She said, shrugging her staff for the little white creature to follow.

Except it didn’t.

“Come on.” She said, trying to remain calm and not show how badly she wanted to book it from the woods that seemed to be constructed from the sensation of **wrong**. The little creature cocking its head to the side in question before it shook its head in defiance.

“Well then,” She looked at the stubborn infant, deeply exhaling, “If you’re smart enough to know the universal sign for _no_ ,” She exaggerated the last word, “Then you are smart enough to know we should get out of here, and quick!” She once more motioned for the lamb to follow her.

Again it shook its head, running right back into the brambles.

“Or maybe you're just an idiot.” She groaned, face palming as she once more trudged over to the infant, already knowing this was going to be a hassle to get the annoying sheep out of the woods of **wrong**.

“Easy now,” She started gently, grasping the baby’s white limbs as delicately as she could while it began to whimper. With practiced ease she cut the brambles, picking a few thorns from the lamb’s downy white wool.

But the miniature sheep was stuck more than she originally thought. “Easy does it.” She grunted, reaching into the tangle of thorny vines to free its head which it had shoved deep into the tangle.

Her hand brushing on something smooth and slimy.

Her mind flashing.

Pain erupting on her back.

Two wounds, one on each shoulder blade that burned like a blazing fire.

The brambles shivered and cracked as they reared back, becoming spindly and furry as they reared up. Three eyes, two normal and one bulbous, manically shined and gleamed in the dark while its twisted white teeth grinned. The darkness morphed from a dank dark wood to a dank dark cave.

She recognized the beast while it lifted her up. But this time she wasn’t going to let it win, at least not without causing it some pain.

With a triumphant feeling, she stabbed at the bulbous eye, it sat right in the middle of its forehead, and shoved the wood as deep in as it would go, listening to it squelch and squeak. The beast vanished in a puff of smoke, the feeling of wrong receded but did not vanish, instead, it lingered on the air like an omen of death. And as it receded, so too did the fog in her mind. Her teen-aged clothes melted to her much more current garb and her limbs lengthened to their adult size, her body filled out and her hair grew a bit longer, falling free of its confines. The last part confused her for a bit but she’d let it slide for the moment.

The forest melted away as she realized it was a memory, the feeling of wrong two parts. The first being whatever lingering damage the corrupted did to her, and the second being her deviation from the memory’s plotted course.

She was back in the hall, the mirrors glowed a bit brighter and were clearer now. The purpose of the memory now over.

But there was still one more thing to take care of.

The lamb was still with her. Maybe it was because it was not originally from her memory, having never happened when she lived with Baasan. It could have been her unconscious mind’s attempt to get her to fix whatever was wrong with her.

But when she looked at it, she knew it was something else.

The former features of a lamb, the soft wool and gentle baby face of a sheep, were gone. In their place, the creature was formless, or rather, it was a wispy ball of light that filled out the outline of a lamb. The occasional limb of light branched off before merging back with the main mass. The visual sensation much like watching a tiny hand break off to wave at her before sinking below an ocean.

“I don’t suppose you’re part of my subconscious, no?” She cocked her head to the side in question.

The lamb-like creature gave no reply.

“A sign from the universe here to help?” She queried again.

The creature, again, gave no indication it heard her but wandered turned and wandered off regardless.

“Alright then, I’ll follow you.”

* * *

  
  


“You saw Aladdin’s magic, didn’t you?” Sinbad began, pacing in front of a kneeled Alibaba who paid rapt attention while the plum-haired king began explaining the blond’s king vessel. “By manipulating your magoi, you can command the rukh around you to perform feats of magic. But as normal humans, we cannot command the rukh to the fullest extent, that privilege is reserved for magicians, like Aladdin. Furthermore, we have smaller amounts of magoi and must use other methods.”  
  
Other methods?” Alibaba tilted his head in confusion, looking at his dagger.

Sinbad paid no mind to the interruption and continued like he didn’t hear it. “By storing your power in your vessel and assimilating with it, you can for a time borrow the power of the Djinn. You’ve already begun experimenting with this,” He referred to Alibaba’s flames, “But the crown jewel of this technique is what we refer to as a Djinn Equip, essentially becoming the Djinn itself.”

“Djinn Equip?” Alibaba parroted, following along.

Good.

“There are several variations of an equip, but generally what you want to aim for is a ‘full body Djinn Equip,’ which is to envelop your entire body.” The king frowned to himself, it took him at least a year of training to get it down the first time after getting serious. But they were on a very tight schedule. “However, with our current situation, we don’t have time. So what you’re going to learn is how to do a partial Djinn Equip, like what the Kou Empire Princess did.” He pointed to his wrist, trying to swallow the bitter memory, telling himself that it served an educational purpose if nothing else. “If you succeed, that knife will transform itself into a weapon worthy of Amon himself.” He looked at the boy, noting the small but present amount of baby fat still present on his face and feeling his tall task grow just that much higher. But without Aladdin, the task fell to him, and as much as he was to loathe the task, he needed every advantage he could get. “All right, let’s see you try it.”

He turned to put a bit more distance between him and the boy’s first attempt, remembering how he almost blew up the warehouse with his first attempt. His preemptive measures proved to be a necessary one as gouts of flame licked past, Alibaba focusing more on making fire than using it.

“You need to converge the flames around the blade, don’t needlessly waste your energy!” He shouted over the roaring fire. Listening to Alibaba scream as he pumped more magoi into Amon, the noise grating on his last nerve which had already been worn down from a lack of sleep and worry.

* * *

“Are we there yet?” Aladdin asked her silent companion like a whiny five year old.

The lamb-like creature gave no indication it had heard her, simply continued on its way down memory lane, literally. The hall was aglow, bright and shining like a beacon, and Aladdin felt better, as if some great black vice had been clamped over her chest, preventing her from breathing. And now she could.

But she wasn’t done yet.

For what felt like years now, she had been traversing her psyche with the anomaly, rooting out the corrupted creature’s toxins that still lingered in her mind, body, and spirit, like plaque in an artery blocking the flow.

Every time she’d end up going into a memory, reliving it, before the feeling of **wrong** would lead her to discover the beat’s influence. And in every instance, her little lamb-light-thing friend would be the end cause for her finding where the corrupting influence was rooted. Each time she’d find an eye blending in to the surroundings before she was abruptly forced into the moment the beast’s influence stuck to her, but with each slaying, with each cleansing, every time she went through the motions of purging the darkness from her being, the memory faded, growing weaker each time. With every repetition the beast began to fade, becoming phantom-like, pain lessened and she could feel her wounds healing, stitching up. Pretty soon she’d be back to factory setting, a result of the magic spell she had ramrodded into her being to heal any and all injuries she acquired. The only downside to the spell was that she’d lose out on the scars.

A pity, really, scars are quite sexy in her opinion.

The only issue was that some memories were a bit… different. Different in that she had to run the gambit several times to get it right, having only a brief window to find the corruption’s main matrix, the lynch pin that holds it all together.

Really it wasn’t that much of a hassle, more annoying than anything, it was like being in a dungeon and having a brief window of time to pull a switch to a particularly annoying puzzle.

The lamb hovered before the largest of the mirrors, or largest one so far.

It was about twice as tall as she was, and a little wider than her shoulders by a small margin, enough to walk through.

  
“This one?” She asked her silent guide, the small creature giving her a brief look before trotting through. The mirror’s surface rippled like the surface of a pond after a pebble was dropped into it. The reflective waves threatened to spill over their edge but stopped, crashing into an invisible barrier before being sucked under the black stone border.

Unlike the others which she went into with ease, something about this one felt different with her. The other memories were both small and major, some a bit more personal than others but none of them jarring or distressing.

She didn’t feel the same about this one, this one felt... foreign to her, like it didn't belong.

Her hand stood above the reflective surface, voices speaking in her head and all around her.

_Is it really in my head if I am technically in my head?_ She questioned, closing her eyes and swallowing her trepidation to take the plunge. That now familiar sensation of the world slowing down, everything frozen in sap, slow moving and stifling to breath under.

The world shimmered around her and immediately she knew something was off when she wasn’t replaced by a younger version, ignorant to the fact that she was trapped in her own mind. Mirror surfaces vanished, the hall opened up and the blak obsidian stone was quickly replaced with sandy golden bricks, hundreds upon thousands of giant tomes written in long dead languages. Homes without people, temples without worshipers, storage houses filled not with grain and water, but stacked with ancient musty books describing them. All of them and more cast in a midnight veil while the moon peeked in through a window on high.

Her heart fell as she recognized it, begging her mind to be mistaken, her eyes beholding the Holy Palace in despair.

She expected to see Ugo, a mix of euphoric joy and soul crushing heartbreak. The sacred Palace held many good memories for her, it had been her birth place, where she grew up with her first friend... her only friend. But it had also been her gilded cage, waiting for Ugo to decide when it was the right moment for her to be free. Years spent doubting herself, not knowing who she was, desperately wanting to see a world outside of golden halls told about in her books and stories. She could tell you anything and everything about the linchpin of the universe, how many steps across from arbitrary north to arbitrary south, nearly ten thousand steps for an eight year old. The number of books depended on the day but generally held an average of around one hundred thousand, all of them ranging in size from bigger than a grown man and twice as heavy, to smaller than the palm of your hand, each and every book crammed into every available space, every nook and cranny, some of the houses were actually made of books.

How many tears had she cried? How often had her voice gone hoarse after begging to know who she is, only to be met by Ugo’s silence? Did anyone know besides Ugo and herself the many times she had banged on the gilded golden gates demanding to be let out, how she beat her hand raw and knuckles bloody?

But she didn’t see any of that. Not the bad times, not the good.

Just a wall of darkness separating her from the rest of the memory, a single tired bloodshot eye resting in the middle, threatening to close shut from exhaustion.

There was no moment of truth.

No big confrontation or battle with an echo of a monster

No grand speech about good conquering evil, etc. etc.

She wasn’t even the one to get rid of it.

It was her companion, the lamb spirit ramming the wall and shattering it like a glass pane. It stopped, looking at her expectantly and waited for her to follow.

She flexed her hands, unable, or rather unwilling, to follow, breathing deeply and not knowing what to do.

The lamb waited patiently for her to move, watching her with an eyeless gaze.

Deciding it was better to get it over with a rip the band aid off, she put one bare foot in front of the other. She did the same with the other. One after the other, each a conscientious decision, each step adding a massive stone atop her back, her lungs finding it hard to breath, stomach twisting in knots as she got closer and closer.

Night bled to day, day to night, and so on. Every step signaled a new day until she had reached the end of it all, feeling like water was trapped in her lungs and she couldn’t breath.

She expected to see Ugo and herself, a younger version of herself, when she reached the top of the stairs. Instead she found nothing. Not Ugo, not her, not the creatures Ugo had made to prop his disembodied head up.

Nothing.

“What is the meaning of this?” She demanded her companion, tears streaming down her face while she rounded on it. “Are we done now?” She asked, voice defeated, face burning in embarrassment and despair.

Except, it wasn't the lamb she met when she turned around, the creature having morphed into a replica of her, void of features but filling out in dimension, as if light had been poured into a mold. The two stood upon the raised dais at the very center of the Palace, one shaking in righteous fury, and the other a picture of calm, statuesque.

"Who are you?!"

She suspected she wasn't in her mind anymore, this familiar place, this void, it felt different, unfamiliar.

Everything was off, like looking at a picture of a picture, **wrong**.

**YOU MUST.**

The figure spoke, the world, the fabric of reality shaking with every syllable. Aladdin covered her ears, it was so intense, not loud, intense, compulsory, commanding. She was desperate to remain standing and to maintain visual on the figure.

“I must what?” She called back, terrified and feeling like she was ten years old all over again, desperate to know who she was and to leave her luxurious prison.

**YOU MUST.**

“I don’t understand! Who are you?”

**YOU MUST.**

The world exploded in myriad of light, her eyes flying open while she screamed, popping up into a sitting position while still screaming. Her head swiveling from side to side as she took in her surroundings, hands grasping everything within reach to reassure herself she wasn't there anymore, wasn't trapped and was free.

“Oh you’ve got to be shitting me.” She swore under her breath, voice shaking as she tried to calm herself, sensing the massive amount of black rukh gathering at the palace.

Already knowing that Alibaba and Sinbad would be at the heart of this fresh hell she just woke up to.

"Out of the frying pan and into the fire."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to get this done! This arc, I wanna get to shenanigans in the Sindria arc!
> 
> Hopefully I can get it all over with soon, definitely after finals week is over and I get free time again!
> 
> Good luck out there and stay safe!


	15. The Impossible Woman

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wrapping up the Balbadd Arc and Sinbad gets flustered.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bet you thought I was dead or forgot this fic.
> 
> You thought wrong!

_ Not like this. _

The dark blade of Kass- no, the monster that had swallowed his friend, swung down at him.

_ Everyone’s fought so hard, they’ve given their all. Like hell I can just stay down and die. Morgiana, Sahbmad, Barkar, Sinbad, Aladdin, like hell I can’t do the same. _

Alibaba stood, leveling the blade, ready to charge once more. He couldn’t parry, his sword was broken, and it felt like liquid fire was pumping through his veins. Nothing to lose but everything to gain, he had to do this.

The sword came low, sweeping over the ground at high speed. Alibaba leaped over it, the soles of his feet felt like they had come in contact with burning coals. He dashed forward, pivoting at the last second to avoid the downward strike that cut the palace plaza.

“Morgiana!” He screamed, the girl launched him into the air at super human speed the next moment.

But the dark construct was ready, back handing Alibaba before he could strike and making him skip like a stone on a lake across the courtyard, where he landed in a heap of bruised skin and cracked bones on the stairs to the Palace main entrance.

The thing raised its off hand, a black vortex of energy growing as it prepared to finish him off, Judar laughing maniacally at Alibaba’s life or death struggle like it was the funniest comedy at the theater.

Alibaba struggled to stand, using the broken sword of Amon to help get him back to his feet while the dark mass kept growing, going from lethal to dramatic overkill slowly like this was all a game to them.

_ Come on, just a little more. I can’t die here! We’re so close, dammit! _

“Eat shit and die!” Judar cackled, swinging his wand in tandem with the dark Djinn to send the crushing attack at the vulnerable prince. The black ball distorted that air as it flew towards Alibaba. The world slowed down as it got closer, his life flashing before his eyes. But rather than accept it, lie down and let his end come to him with dignity, Alibaba got mad. He had only just started to save this country he couldn’t give up now!

Thankfully, he didn’t have to, a beam of light shooting down from the heavens as if sent by god himself.

“I hope I’m not too late.” A chipper voice spoke over his shoulder.

“Aladdin!” His head moved so fast he worried it would fly off.

Aladdin sat on the steps, looking like she had never been on Death’s door the night previous, her knees tucked together with her elbows crossed. Her cheek rested on her hand, head tilted to the side with a small bemused smile, blue eyes twinkling, hair free of its usual confines to run down the steps like a waterfall. Her staff rested casually on the stairs to complete the picture of nonchalance as if she wasn’t in the middle of a battlefield.

“Aladdin…” Unbidden tears welled up in his eyes, staring dumbfounded at his friend, the stress and relief mixing in a turbulent storm of emotions that the young man couldn’t contain.

“You’ve got so far on your own Alibaba-kun, always when I wasn’t looking, so how about I step up to help you past this last hurdle, neh?” Her lips widened in a full smile, eyes closed as her head tilted further in question, blue hair swaying with the abrupt motion.

“Eat this you has-been!” Judar threw another attack their way. This time there was no big entrance or fancy counter. With a snap of her fingers, Aladdin made the swirling mass vanish without a trace. The only inclination for anyone that the two were under attack was a loud pop that bounced around the now silent courtyard before Judar started to scream profanities.

“Alrighty then,” Aladdin groaned as she stood up, the butt of her staff making a wooden clunking noise as she tapped the butt of it on the stone steps. “Shall we end this, Alibaba the Wonder?” She asked with a twinkle in her blue eyes, extending her hand out for him to take.

“Hai!” Alibaba agreed with relief, feeling the odds had turned insurmountably in their favor with that one simple gesture. “What's the plan?”

“The plan,” Aladdin said with a snap of her fingers, sending out a wave of intense heat that melted the ice keeping Sinbad pinned down. “Is that we, meaning I, destroy that thing before things get further out of hand than they already are.” She gave him a thumbs up and a smile like it wasn’t a seemingly impossible task.

“Just like old times!” Sinbad cheered with a smile, getting into a fighting stance beside Aladdin who looked at the king unimpressed. “What?”

Aladdin rolled her eyes, reaching into her shirt and rummaged around the voluminous folds of her tattered dress in the middle of an intense battle. Eventually, she found it, withdrawing from the folds of her magical cloak of mysteries…

A single purple beetle.

The little thing looked like it could care less about what was going on, and looked more annoyed that it had seemingly just been awoken from its nap. The thing was even giving them all the stink eye, starting with Aladdin and then giving it to Alibaba, before finishing with Sinbad.

It was kind of impressive given the lack of facial features.

“You,” She pointed at Sinbad, “Follow the beetle.” She commanded.

“What?” Sinbad voiced Alibaba’s thoughts, the little creature already fluttering off in a seemingly random direction, the muted sounds of its wings flapping over the sound of fighting made it sound like the creature was muttering obscenities.

“GO!” Aladdin urged him on, the king gave her a questioning look, turned to look at Alibaba who was just as confused as him, turned back to Aladdin before hightailing it after the fluttering insect that was now but a colorful glimmer in the air as it weaved past the carnage.

“Oi, quit jabbering has-been, it’s time for round two and I’m all fired up!” The two on the ground turned to pay attention to Magi floating above, the silence of the Dark Djinn somehow cut through the sound of the cacophonous noise like a knife - an unsettling clash of sensations given their current surroundings. “There’s no way I can lose with a Djinn of my own!” The Magi boasted, his face twisting into a cruel and triumphant expression that did little to hide the swirling mix of excitement and blood lust that threatened to spill out from the Magi’s sharp red eyes.

The four stared off, the two dueling Magi once more waiting for the other to make the first move. And even with the backing of the massive monster that was still Kassim somewhere deep inside that twisted mass of malice and suffering, Judar seemed nervous, that wild untamable energy kept back by the Aladdin’s unfazed calm.

She was not indifferent, nor as outwardly resolved as Alibaba to save Balbadd. She was just… calm, as if Judar could come with an army of Dark Djinn and she would still meet the oncoming storm with a collected resolve.

A flash of something (fear, worry, pity?) and it was gone, swallowed up in Aladdin’s eyes deep blue eyes that rivaled the deepest oceans in their depth.

Whether Judar spotted it too or he sought to unnerve Aladdin, make her flinch or whatever, he spoke. “What’s this?” He leaned back and sneered down at him, something Alibaba was sure to make him feel small but paled in comparison to the mountainous aura Aladdin could emit when silently judging someone. “Aren’t you gonna pull out your own Djinn?” The black haired man mocked from his lofty height.

_ Her own Djinn? Did he mean Amon? _ _   
_   
It was almost imperceptible, like a layer of ice had frozen over Aladdin before her eyes hardened like diamond, and Judar took that as his opportunity to strike. “What’s the matter,” He mocked, “Did you  _ lose  _ it?” He dragged out, throwing a volley of ice at them, his tone rubbing salt into whatever wound his words had reopened for Aladdin.

Whips of flame danced down Alibaba’s arms as he called on Amon, gathering around the broken blade as he readied to defend them.

He was about to strike when a wall of sand rose up to meet the attack, blocking the ice spears before shattering them.

“It’s true.” Aladdin looked at nothing in particular, a sad expression coming over her face as she was lost in her memories. “I did lose him,” A vortex of confusion swirled within the former prince until realization that this was someone in Aladdin’s past, someone important to her by the looks of it. “But that doesn’t mean he’s not with me.”   
  
“Don’t tell me you're getting sentimental now of all places. Jeez, you really are old.”

“And I’ve got other friends too now; Sinbad, Baasan, Alibaba and Morgiana. They’re all just as important.”   
  
The corner of Judar's mouth twitched as he let out a ragged noise of disbelief. “You really think that twerp and old man can help you now?”

“Of course.” Aladdin smiled, a gentle and fond expression as she stared straight into Judar’s red eyes. “You’ve already let Sinbad go, if nothing else I just need to hold out until he returns,” Aladdin pointed her crook at him. The man let out an outraged roar as he realized what Aladdin meant but was cut off before he could voice his irritation any further. “And don’t you for a second think that your amalgamation, your parasite, can compete with Alibaba for even a second. Because rather than give up and succumb to false promises of power he has chosen to stand on his own two feet with everyone in this country. So you stand back and watch how far he runs!” She cheered, rivers of white rukh flowing out and around her body, pushing away the heavy cloud of darkness that threatened to swallow them all.

Judar was however done with words as he launched his counter attack, sending wave after wave of ice and crushing black fog at the two who huddled behind a wall of slithering sand that remained intact under the onslaught - whatever lost having quickly regrown.

“Listen, Alibaba,” Said boy in question turned to Aladdin while she spoke, not particularly perturbed by their opponents blind attacks, but focused on protecting them. “There is a way to save Kassim, as we speak your friend is being swallowed by the darkness, what little of his light remaining is soon to be swallowed. You need to pierce it with Amon’s power and help Kassim remember who he is.” She finished, moving her staff in a quarter circle to stand at her side, somehow commanding the sand to gather faster and grow in correlation to the subtle movement.

“But-”   
  
“Amon will be reborn, so don’t worry. Simply focus on moving forward and I will be right behind you!” She smiled, crossing her arms over her chest before lifting them up to the sky. The sand whipped around, destroying all the incoming attacks before gathering above them.

Alibaba wasted no time in rushing forward, only hearing the clash of something massive run in tandem with his steps as he let out a roar. Ice quickly grew at Judar’s command to block his move.

But Aladdin was ready, “Halharl Infigar!” The two opposite forces clashed, the flames serving a dual purpose as they not only protected Alibaba from the freezing attack but reforged Amon’s blade.

There was a moment of resistance as he stuck deep, his blade sticking out of the other end of the monstrous creature that his friend had become. A worrying thought of doubt that he hadn’t hit it hard enough before black tendrils ensnared him, pulling him inside.

They were cold to the touch as he struggled, and felt like great coils of steel that refused to budge and squeezed tighter.

The last thing he saw before he confronted his friend in the literal belly of the beast was Aladdin’s comforting smile. Her head tilted to the side as her eyes conveyed the message that he could do it despite his less than ideal circumstances. A trail of white rukh made its way past the tendrils of darkness to dance along his outstretched arm, a tether of light that surrounded him like a comforting hug.

Alibaba could swear he heard everyone he had ever loved tell him he could do it with comforting words.

Mariam, his parents, and one voice that was not yet dead but stood by him nonetheless as she secured him a line of support while he ventured into the darkness to save his friend.

* * *

This was very different from when Sinbad had saved Ja’far when she was twelve all those years ago in Baal. And Aladdin was far from sure Alibaba would make it, but when had she ever been one to not believe in the good of others?

The only bad feeling she had left at this point as she watched him be swallowed by the amalgamation of fallen personalities that had united under the ego of  _ Kassim _ was the little white lie she had told him.

Should Alibaba succeed, and he will, Kassim would be saved… just not in the way Alibaba hoped.

“Now then.” She muttered under her breath, Judar screaming as he attacked the sandy imitation of her first friend as  _ Ugo _ fought the Black Djinn to a stalemate in martial prowess. The sand was already too small for the crushing attacks to have any effect, much less the ice spears Judar was still using for some reason that was lost to her.

She could see Judar grit his teeth in irritation, glowering down at her from his vantage point.

“Is this all you have?,” She began, raising her staff in theatrical challenge, the vast swell of energy crashing inside her like a tidal wave, ready for release. “A sorcerer of creation who can only cast simple frozen parlor tricks?” A sense of amusement flickered inside her while Judar bristled, Alibaba’s resolve to save everyone, even Kassim, having kindled something inside her as well.

“Why you-”   
  


_ I might not be able to pull you back from the abyss on my own, but I can at least put you on the climb to do so yourself. _ She thought to herself, ignoring her fellow Magi’s expletives, her barbs doing their purpose to lower his guard.

“Solomon’s wisdom!” She called out, drawing on the arcane power while watching Judar drop like a stone, overwhelmed by his long forgotten past.

And while she knew that Al-Thamen had kidnapped him from a young age, she did not know or even guess how deep their depravity went in aligning one of this world’s Magi to their agenda. The needless murder was the least of her worries. But the truly abysmal thing was how they raised Judar. There was no attachment, let alone structure, that young minds needed to thrive. He was free to do as he pleased but the moment he broke one of their unspoken rules he was punished with vindictive actions and saccharine smiles that told him _ it was for his own good _ . And that they  _ did it because they loved him _ .

No wonder he had been so… attached, starved for any positive attachment when they had met him as a kid.

And not for the first time Aladdin wished she could turn back the clock and be there for him more. To steal him away when she had the chance and not look at him askance. That she hadn’t let her own shortcomings stand between her and saving him.

A great pillar of light burst forth from the depths of the Dark Djinn, allowing Aladdin to let out a breath she did not know she was holding as Alibaba returned to the land of the living. All it took was for her to glance to the side, to make sure Alibaba was relatively unharmed, and the unconscious form of Judar was taken right from under her nose.

“Another time, your _highness_.” A cloaked figure appeared from nowhere.

A cold fury ran through her as she reached her hand out, the giant sandy form of Ugo collapsing as thick tendrils converged on the masked man’s position and trapped him in a grainy ball of crushing earth, gritting her teeth as she watched him slip through like a black cloud and vanish, taking Judar with him.

The grip on her staff tightened before it slackened, defeated, letting out a long suffering deep breath through her nose. The choked ugly sobs of Alibaba reaching across to her ears over the victorious cries of Balbadd’s survivors.

She couldn’t help but feel that raw pain Alibaba was currently dealing with, that bleeding open wound that would never truly heal no matter how much time passed.

But maybe- maybe she could at least lessen that pain, if only a little, she closed her eyes and drew on the rukh around her, letting out a breath of air.

“Solomon’s wisdom!”

* * *

“To think you have had that trump card up your sleeve, your _highness_. When did you acquire such a power I wonder, hmm? Your arrogance knows no bounds. Long have we indulged you, but know now that our father’s eye is upon you! You and your king candidates, I shall subject you all to our darkness!”

“I won’t allow it.”

* * *

“I’d thought I’d find you up here.”Sinbad said as he crested one of the rooftops, clambering across the tiles and careful not to slip as he made his way towards Aladdin. A slight smile danced across her lips while she rested her head on her crossed arms, knees tucked up into her chest as she looked into the distance.

It took him a moment to spot what she was looking at in particular, a head of blonde hair on a nearby balcony that had yet to notice them, staring out across the cityscape and out onto the sunny blue horizon.

“Should I expect our favorite assassin to come storming after your or did you finish all your paperwork?” She said.

The king stilled as he stood beside her, trying to wrack his brains for any missive or scrap of parchment that might have escaped his notice while a cold bead of sweat dripped down his forehead.

“Yes, yes I did.” He said more to assure himself than Aladdin, listening to her laugh and blushing ever so slightly before joining in, scratching the back of his head after being the butt of the woman’s joke.

Aladdin leaned back on her arms, looking up to watch the clouds pass overhead while Sinbad lowered himself to join her on the dusty tiles that had avoided damage. The two simply took a break from helping to rebuild a country, selfishly hiding away on a rooftop rather than organize the construction efforts or help with the people's creature comforts.

“I’m proud of him.”

“Hmm?” Sinbad questioned, looking to Aladdin who in turn was looking at someone else. He couldn’t help the pout that popped onto his usually dignified features as Aladdin’s attention turned to his fellow king candidate. “I helped too you know, don’t  _ I _ get a reward? I come in in shining armor and not so much as a handkerchief?” He complained.

Childish? Yes.

Did it work? Yes.

His reward was to hear Aladdin laugh again, but rather than join in, Sinbad only pouted further, about to open his big mouth to further act like a child before he felt it. A feather light touch on his cheek. A kiss. Aladdin had kissed him.

Granted it was a simple gesture, done more in jest and far too innocent with its friendly undertones.

“I’m sorry I left my handkerchief in my gilded tower, sir knight, I do hope my paltry gift shall suffice for now until I retrieve my errant cloth!” She mocked him, not noticing the deep red blush that had quickly overtaken Sinbad’s features.

Sinbad was quick to hide his blushing face between his hunched shoulders, opting instead to focus on the distant horizon and not the sound of Aladdin’s laughter and the way her shoulders shook ever so slightly. Nor did he focus on the way her hair, still free from their usual confines and as flying proudly as the Balbaddian crest of arms on the coastal breeze. He did not stare out of the corner of his eye at her own twinkling ones that compete with the ocean with their beauty.

No, Sinbad’s attention was definitely on the distant horizon.

“I am proud of you too,” She said, leaning into Sinbad’s side and using him for support, “Despite the hassle you put me through.” She absentmindedly fingered one of his metal vessels, Furfur his frazzled brain supplied, still watching Alibaba from her rooftop vantage and blatantly ignoring Sinbad who was still caught off guard from the kiss to his cheek.

He could still feel where her lips had pressed to his skin, the surrounding area tingling in a good way.

He wanted to touch it, maybe find a mirror and check for proof that that had indeed happened, but also did not want to move or otherwise disrupt the way Aladdin was casually snuggling into his side.

It wasn’t a new occurrence to him, Aladdin was naturally a touchy person. No, but the kiss had thrown him off and he was now cursing the fact that he wasn’t paying attention when she did it.

Again, he was pointedly not looking at the way her hair swayed in the breeze when she stood up in concern for whatever happened that he wasn’t paying attention to. And he was especially not paying attention to the way she bounded over the sun baked tiles, robes and hair trailing behind her and lending her an ethereal beauty that most certainly was not mesmerizing the dumbstruck king.

His happy little moment came to a screeching halt when he finally noticed Aladdin hovering over Alibaba. The green eyed beast of jealousy striked at the sitting king who stared at Alibaba with an almost venomous glower, fitting seeing as Aladdin and half the palace guard were now fussing around the two minor puncture wounds on the boy's shoulder. He snorted on his perch, turning away from the scene to look out morosely over the horizon, wondering if he had ever been as sensitive when he was the kid’s age.

Amongst the snaking jealous thoughts and half-baked plans to get Aladdin’s attention back on him, most of them very childish and very exaggerated, he spotted something on the horizon.

That something soon became several somethings as he quickly recognized what had to be a fleet of ships - big ships and dozens of them, sailing straight for the port city.

_ Of course they wouldn’t let slip an opportunity.  _ Sinbad bit back several curses that would have made his sailor ancestors glow with pride.

“Oi, Aladdin!”

* * *

“...I’ll just fight instead!” Alibaba proclaimed, far from ready to let everything he and everyone had worked so hard, had come so close, to achieving. Taken completely by surprise to the sudden jab and tingling sensation to the back of his neck, crumpling to the ground in an undignified heap.

Everything came to him a few seconds too late, his vision swam in and out, everything felt fuzzy, like, really fuzzy, and everything was muffled, coming to him like he was underwater. Hell, he might as well have been with how he was feeling.

He was vaguely aware of someone holding his head, hands gripping the side of his head in what should have been a painful manner but only  _ tingled _ with how out of it he was.

His tongue felt like velvet. Where was he? What was going on? Were teeth supposed to be covered in felt?

His eyes locked onto the colors purple and blue, his vision clearing up to reveal Sinbad and Aladdin arguing, at least he thinks they were arguing, he couldn’t hear.

The next thing he knew was that he could see red, blurry or clear, and was kind of being jostled but couldn’t tell.

It seemed his nose was working, he could smell Balbadd’s cooking. It was a soup recipe he and everyone in the slums made from a hodgepodge of what was available. A chunky mixture of delicious broth, a few spices that they were lucky enough to snag, vegetables, mostly cabbage, and the cheapest meats available on the market. A dish that could feed several families, and saved for special occasions - everyone had their own _secret_ recipe.

Red turned to blue and Alibaba felt like he was flying, although that might have been the lightheaded feeling that was intensifying. He tried to move his fingers, to grab at the dirt or brick or grass, but they refused to budge. _Stubborn traitorous sausage appendages._ He swore at them before forgetting his original train of thought.

The clouds were fluffy.

Fluffy fluffy fluffy clouds.

Fluffy fluffy…

Fluff

...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Shenanigans Shenanigans, we get to do Shenanigans!
> 
> I'm so pumped for the first Sindria Arc so I'll hopefully update soon!


	16. Regrets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinbad has made a mess of things for Aladdin who has been running around putting out fires.
> 
> Meanwhile Alibaba is feeling events catch up with him, threatening to spiral him into despair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Not entirely satisfied, but, ehh, it gets me moving.

_She lied._

_You didn’t save him, and neither did she, he’s dead, slain by her silver tongue._

_Listening to her will cost you everything and more. You’ve already lost your friend, your country, your freedom. How much more are you willing to lose because you choose to be a pawn in her game._

_You’re not a friend to her, not even of use like Sinbad._

_You are a burden._

_And rather than let you fight for your freedom, true freedom, she shackles you with weakness._

_How much more, I wonder, are you willing to gamble away in accord to her capricious whims?_

* * *

Morgiana had never seen Aladdin angry, not like this at least, this cold freezing rage that slithered down one's throat and coiled around their heart like a venomous snake. The closest she had seen was with the corrupted monster, and even then that had been a righteous fury that burned hot and fast as she used her emotions to fuel her actions.

But this, this was something else entirely.

Most frightening of all, Morgiana was not the intended target, no that right was reserved fully for the returned King of Sindria.

It had all started with the Kou naval fleet closing in on the harbors of Balbadd, with Alibaba declaring his will to stand and fight. At the time, Morgiana was afraid, despite having faced monsters like the Black Djinn and the corrupted beast. But those ships weren’t merely a rabble of rebels or a group of thieves, nor were they a mindless beast, they were a nation, a nation that would indiscriminately kill hundreds, maybe even thousands, in order to secure a foothold in Balbadd.

Aladdin’s eyes had been calculating at the time, weighing the potential outcomes as her blue orbs flitted back and forth, doing the math in her head, her fingers drumming against the solid wood of her staff, a nervous tick Morgiana had learned.

Sinbad by contrast stood firm, back straight and shoulders squared as he marched forward without a hint of hesitation in his step.

Morgiana had thought he was going to assure Alibaba that the former royal would have the full backing of the Seven Seas Alliance like he had at the palace. That all of their hard work would not be swept away by the tidal waves of an ambitious imperialistic nation. It had seemed possible at the time, costly but possible, even Morgiana could tell that much from what little she knew about war. With a Magi and two dungeon conquerors, one of whom not only knew how to properly use his but had several as well, they could have won the battle.

But that would have been it, right, just a battle?

The Kou naval force would have been turned back, and then come again with a larger force, and who knew how many of their own metal vessel users.

And it seemed that was what Sinbad thought as he stuck Alibaba and knocked him out cold. He saw it would have been a battle that far outweighed whatever short term benefits they would have gotten. It would have struck a war between two of the world’s most powerful political organizations.

So he made the choice for Alibaba.

And while Morgiana could understand why, it didn’t mean that she fully agreed with his approach. Neither, it seemed, did Aladdin who began to argue with him.

Morgiana had not heard what the two were yelling at each other, too busy making sure Alibaba was okay from his impromptu fall. She was relieved to see he was still breathing and had not suffered any head trauma, at least none that she could see, from when his head hit the hard stones of the wharf.

“Where’s the nearest port that’s still trading with Sindria?” Aladdin had asked at the time, turning her back on the heated king who was trying to defend his actions and leveling a cold look in Ja’far’s direction, before striding over to Morgiana and hefting Alibaba over her shoulder.

“Cinnamon Island…” The advisor had told them after snapping out of his stupor, not knowing what the sudden problem was between the Magi and his king.

“Good,” She had said at the time, whipping off her veil and suspending it in the air as she gently laid Alibaba down on it, a contrast from the sudden method in which she took him from Morgiana’s lap. “I’ll take him there and get him on a ship to Sindria.” She told them with a finality that brokered no argument, motioning for Morgiana to join her on the flying fabric.

She was still a bit too stunned to fully pay attention to what was happening around her, lack of sleep and their earlier fight the day before was weighing heavily on her stressed mind. She managed to catch Sinbad telling Aladdin to “At least take Ja’far and Masrur with you.” Aladdin didn’t even turn around, grimacing to herself before relenting with a deep sigh, the two aforementioned men joining the young fanalis girl on the soft white cloth.

“Do you remember how it works?” Aladdin had asked Ja’far, placing her hand on Alibaba’s forehead and closing her eyes to concentrate.

“I think so.”

“Perfect, you’re driving.” Aladdin told him, stepping a bit away before hopping into the air to sit on the wood of her staff, the two objects riding higher into the air.

“Aladdin!” Sinbad groused out, clearly not done with whatever they had been arguing about earlier. “I was only-”

“It doesn’t matter what you were doing, what’s done is done.” Aladdin cut him off with steel in her voice. “And while I don’t agree with your actions, I cannot deny the outcome they will circumvent, but I highly doubt Alibaba will see it that way.” She defended, stealing the last word as the group quickly rose into the sky and off into the distance, speeding over the rooftops before rising up into the atmosphere once they passed into the forests surrounding the ancient city, hopefully far from view of any Kou sailor on the lookout for anything suspicious.

It had been about half a day’s flight since then, the group now over the ocean and nearing their destination, a tropical island peeking over the horizon, and Morgiana had been left to fret over Alibaba’s sleeping body. No one had said a word since they had left Balbadd, Ja’far was too busy controlling the flying carpet while Masrur took a nap, the significantly larger fanalis slept with his arms and legs crossed, leaning slightly forward as gentle breaths escaped his lungs. Alibaba was obviously still out of it and Morgiana was too afraid to ask for clarification of what happened. Leading them was Aladdin who flew above the ground muttering under her breath every now and then, hands turning white as they occasionally strangled the wood underneath her.

And despite the distance, the air felt heavy with the anger still radiating off of Aladdin.

* * *

Alibaba awoke with a jolt, the whispers of some dark vice lingering in his head but too far away for him to make out what they were even saying, all he could gather was a general feeling of… anger. It had dulled now, somewhat, but there was still a lingering scar, nearly hot to the touch, figuratively speaking of course.

Unbidden, a hand reached up to rub at his neck where a slight pinching sensation had flared up when he tried to find the origin of why he was so angry. The twin puncture wounds from where the snake had bitten him still bled ever so slightly, a trickle of blood that dribbled out at the slightest hint of agitation. That, and any time he thought of Aladdin.

_Liar_ . _Deceiver. Selfish. Witch._

A voice that was not his own spoke.

“Who’s there!?” He called out, only now realizing he was alone in a wooden room, the gentle rocking that he felt told him that he was on a ship. It was a familiar sensation that would normally have put the prince to rest, but at the moment all he wanted to do was scream, to rage, to punch anything and everything and for the life of him he couldn’t figure out why. Trying to remember the past few days only made him angrier and more frustrated as nothing came to him. He knew something important, several somethings important actually, happened but he was coming up blank.

He would later be ashamed to say his first reaction to seeing someone was to pull his knife, his broken knife he realized, his shoulder wound flaring up again as something large and black flashed before his mind’s eye in a haze.

The banished prince ran in the opposite direction of the person, ignoring their pleas for him to stop, barreling into someone else and knocking whatever load they had in their arms over.

_Balbadd._

The voice spoke in his head, the scene of a ruined city accompanied it and Alibaba felt something heavy settle into the pit of his stomach.

_Conquered._

The flag of Kou proudly flew high above the still smoking ruins of his home, soldiers marching through the streets at their latest prize throw conquest.

He practically ripped the doors off their hinges as he flung himself onto the main deck, blinking his eyes while they adjusted to the sun.

“Alibaba!” Someone called. Again, the young boy ran in the opposite direction from which the voice called out to him in concern.

Finding a life boat moored to the side and quickly getting it ready to sail.

The image of Aladdin’s smiling face appearing in his head, her visage taking on a twisted and cruel form as she mocked him, the burning city of his home becoming the background as the acrid smell of smoke filled his nostrils.

Again, all he could feel was a blind rage with no outlet.

He didn’t want to feel this way. He knew these weren’t his own thoughts. Aladdin would never betray him… Would she?

Miraculously he had managed to lower the boat over the edge until it was stopped by some unseen force, looking up revealed it to be the frightened and pleading face of Morgiana who was desperately clutching onto the ropes holding his seaworthy vessel dangling above the open ocean.

“Alibaba-san,” her voice sounded broken, hoarse and wounded as she begged him to come up and calm down.

Angry and twisted talons dug into his head, screaming at him to cut the chords and sail back to Balbadd. To fight for his country!

_Wait, why do I need to fight?_

Again the images of Balbadd burning, corpses of her citizens lining the streets like a silent audience for the marching army storming up to the castle. His hands twitched, a deep seated need to take his knife and slash the ropes holding him back from his destiny screeched at him. It was only through his own stubborn will to figure out the why to all these burning questions to the reason he felt this way that stopped him from acting, giving the people on board the deck enough time to pull him back aboard.

He was aware of Morgiana calling his name as she led him gently by the arm to a barrel to sit on.

A wooden cup of water, a luxury on the open seas, was thrust under his nose. “Here, drink this.” Ja’far commanded, “You’ve been asleep for a few days.” The advisor informed him, his face a mix of discomfort and sympathy, with something else, apprehension, fear?

He took the water, not realizing how parched he was as he greedily gulped it down in one go. Already another one was put forward from somewhere which quickly followed the first. Then a third and a fourth until he was sated, turning the fifth away.

“Wher-” His throat was hoarse and parch, but everyone still perked to attention, treating him with the same degree of care one preserved for a startled animal backed into a corner. “Where… where is Aladdin?” He looked up at their hesitant faces.

Morgiana who looked anywhere but his face, avoiding eye contact as she stalled for time. Ja’far who pursed his lips and stared at a spot just above Alibaba’s brow, but not _at_ Alibaba. And Masrur who… really didn’t seem to care, his face a perfect poker mask with his mouth slightly ajar as he thought of something else, not quite there yet present nonetheless in case things got too out of hand.

A handful of the ship's crew was hard at work, a little too hard, for shipmen were right behind old ladies when it came to gossip. It was a fact of their job that they were key in the proliferation of gossip across the high seas, so they made themselves scarce while still being present in case anything might happen.

“We don’t know.” Someone, Ja’far, said after five seconds, but what felt like an eternity to Alibaba who could barely make sense of his own emotions, let alone the added voice in his head that seemed to exist only to rile him up.

“What do you mean, _you don’t know_?” His voice came out more aggressive than he meant.

_She will only cast you aside._

_Use you._

_Then abandon you once she’s had her fun._

_You don’t matter, not to her._

“SHUT UP!” He screamed, grabbing fist full of his own hair while everyone, save Masrur, took a step back, stunned by the sudden outburst.

“No one-”  
  
 _Useless._

_Pointless._

_A waste._

“Leave me alone!” He shoved his way past the surprised group.

“Alibaba-san!?” Morgiana cried, ready to go after him but was held back. Her eye pleaded with Ja’far for him to let her go after him, looking to her fellow red lion for support. But they both just gently shook their heads, giving her a small smile that told her now was not the right time.

So with that, she left back to her quarters, not knowing what else she could do but wait.

* * *

Alibaba sat at the stern of the ship, looking at his midnight reflection in the wake of the sea faring vessel. His hands grit together, turning white from exertion as his nails scraped off flecks of paint and wood from the railing. He had hoped that he could gather his thoughts, compose himself… apologize for his outburst.

But that didn’t happen.

_Failure._

_Outcast._

_Bastard child._

_What could you possibly do?_

In his isolation, the voice only grew louder, seeming to spring upon its chance to be his only companion on the dark waves.

In his mind images flashed, the same images.

Balbadd burning.

Kou marching on a street of his country men’s bloody corpses.

Aladdin, above it all watching with a smug, condescending smirk as his home was burned to ash and cinder beneath her, a column of smoke to encompass her and swallow the night sky in a twisting body of black serpentine clouds, the fires stretching her once kind and gentle features into something devilish and cruel.

“You should apologize to Morgiana.” A deep voice rumbled over the sound of crashing waves.

Alibaba didn’t need to look to see Masrur had snuck up upon him, moving silently despite his size and armor. This time his nails dug into his own palms, threatening to tear the flesh.

_How can you protect anything if a beast of his size can sneak up on you oh so easily?_

“Leave me alone.” Alibaba grit out with a venomous bite, trying to focus on the continuous crashing of the waves, the rhythm of the ocean, attempting to block out the toxic voice curling around his head and whispering searing lies based in truth into his ear.

Masrur ignored the blond’s command, opting to stare out silently over the waves, taking in the cloudless sky and the gentle scent of the salty ocean surf.

The two spent hours just standing silently in the night. Masrur’s presence seemingly chased away the intrusive thoughts, forcing them into retreat lest he rip their traitorous head off, curling into a ball within the recesses of Alibaba’s consciousness.

“You’re feeling abandoned, afraid, everything you’ve ever known has been ripped away from you and you have nothing to hold onto as you drift aimlessly.”

“How can you possibly know what I feel!” Alibaba roared, hurt and anguish seeped into every letter and word.

Masrur for his part took no offense, Alibaba knew nothing of him aside from his current position as Sinbad’s companion and general, and despite Alibaba being a fan of Sinbad’s story, those books seldom had the whole truth, merely a few grains that were stretched a mile. The red headed man never strayed his eyes away from the distant horizon, simply rolling Alibaba’s pain filled words around in his head. Aladdin had often said he was blunt in the heat of the moment, telling him he said the first thing that popped into his head no matter the situation, but that he could at times see things others couldn’t.

For a second, as his mind drifted on the waves below, Masrur felt like he was seven again, lost and confused, not knowing where he was going. At the time, his freedom had felt heavier than any chain and threatened to pull him down into the abyss. But it was Aladdin who helped him get back above the water, it was Aladdin who helped give him purpose beyond who he followed.

The ghost of a hand gently carded through his short locks of red, a faint smile on a much younger face hovered before his eyes, shining brighter than any star in the night sky.

“ _Despite your hardships Masrur, you truly have a kind heart. Even when you were surrounded by darkness you wanted to help people if only a little. But sometimes we have to help ourselves in order to help others. So tell me, Masrur, what do you want to do?”_

_“I don’t- I don’t know.”_

A laugh, gentle, like bells ringing on a gentle breeze blowing in from the sea on a calm day. The scent of flowers in the morning accompanied by the smell of sheep’s milk freshly harvested. A noise that chased away the darkness.

“ _That’s okay, I don’t quite know what I want either.”_

A single pale finger was proffered that he took with trepidation.

“ _But I’ll tell you what, when you know what it is you want to do, whether it be to travel the breadth of the world ten times over, build a city out of gold, or even, just, take a nap, I’ll be there right beside you when it counts. So don’t worry about the future, because it’s still a ways away.”_

Gentle hands, bigger than his own at the time, took his. He could still remember the soft fingers that rubbed against his, mapping out the scars and calluses that had no place on a seven year old.

“ _And while the past may haunt us, it can never again truly hold us. So let’s live just a little bit in the moment and smile, so that if our future looks bleak and dark, we can always have these moments to look back on, and remind us that it’s not all bad, at least, not all the time. Little things to remind us about the_ **_big_ ** _things that are important to us all.”_

Something hard was pressed into his hand, and at the same time fragile, a spiraling shell, nothing special, something simple, something physical to remind him about the small comforts in life that made the biggest difference.

So, with a resigned sigh, Masrur took a seat besides the blond, and did something he didn’t often do. He talked.

To Masrur, the shell was a physical reminder of happier times, he didn't need it often, his life improving immensely the longer he stayed int the plum headed king's company, but he had his moment like anyone else. Alibaba, didn’t have… anything, to remind him of such times. His sword was broken, his friends were far behind him, and he was backed into a corner by the man he looked up to, forced to flee his home he had fought so hard to protect. He felt abandoned in a time when his life was changing so fast he could barely keep up.

And much like Masrur way back when, he needed someone to remind him to breath, and that he needed to start with the first step before he could take off running at full steam.

So Masrur asked Alibaba about everything, and nothing. He asked him about his mother, about Kassim and his sister, about the streets of Balbadd, and about Aladdin. Masrur talked with Alibaba about things big and small, the irritating things in life like mosquito bites and burnt food, lumpy mattresses and stubbed toes. He listened to the teen laugh about the silly mistakes he’d made as a child, drawing on the walls and throwing rotten produce at the crotchety old man eight houses down. The new stories that eclipsed the old in far more phantasmal ways but were just as important to the blond as his time spent as a child.

He didn’t force it, he didn’t draw it out, he let Alibaba go at his own pace.

And when Alibaba had finally let his grievances out, his doubts and fears, his self loathing and hatred, he didn’t judge or make suggestions, merely remained nearby as a figure of support for the young royal to lean on.

There to remind him, that there was another day on the horizon, and that he would need to stand up once more if he ever wished to leave those shackles and doubts behind him.

* * *

Aladdin had yet to cool, despite the months spent away from the situation, her anger had been left to simmer.

Sinbad might have meant well, intending on saving Alibaba from what would inevitably be a pointless death.

But in robbing Alibaba the chance to come to his own conclusion, his own need to live, grow stronger, and come back another day when he could free Balbadd with his own might, he very well could have cut that same will to fight short.

And while Alibaba had had time to heal, to recover, and reflect without the pressure of impending doom.

Resentment had a way of lingering, of whispering in one's ears and making them think otherwise. Regret was a shackle, a chain that bound its victims in a quagmire, making them lose sight of not only the present, but what lay beyond the horizon. It bound them in the past and prevented them from moving forward.

In truth, Aladdin would have preferred to be with Alibaba during the recovery process, but other matters of importance had drawn her away, forced her hand to mitigate what could have blossomed into war…

Or something worse.

And like many times before, she had chosen the greater good at the cost of others. And each time she had to turn her back, a sliver of doubt, cold and slimy, stabbed at her heart. So she did what she always did, remind herself that she did it for them, that it didn't matter if they hated her, despised her, wanted her dead. So long as they could smile, could run and be happy, enjoy the simple things in life as well as the big...

Aladdin would bear it with a smile of her own, watching in on a world that she had never truly belonged. Hovering just off to the side, balancing on the cusp of their reality.

Alibaba, Morgiana, Pisti, Yamuraiha, Masrur, Sharrkan, Hina, Drakon, Lo'lo, Baasan, Yunan, Ugo... Sinbad.

So long as those people close to her heart could be happy, she could be happy.

“AAaaaahhhhHHhhhh!” She screamed, aggressively rubbing the heel of her palms into her eyes as the headache caused by the one and only Sinbad throbbed at the edge of her skull, threatening to burst forth. “I wanna take a nap, a long one.” She sighed to herself, closing her eyes and imagining, for just a moment, that she was lying in her bed, surrounded by her things, the smell of gentle incense burning. Forcing herself back to reality to open her red groggy eyes as she counted the literal weeks spent on a combined amount of a measly five hours of sleep as she moved all over the world fixing messes and putting out fires, not noticing the sky grow dark.

“Wasn’t it clear just a moment ago?” She asked looking up, her borg flaring around her as the world was swallowed in pitch black, taking her deeper and deeper into the moist cavern that was presented as her new state of reality.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Inspiration: Let's do this and this and this...
> 
> The rational part of my brain: But that's several chapters ahead of where we are now, that's Magnoshutatt?
> 
> Inspiration: And?
> 
> Rational: We can't do that yet, we're still waaaaaaay over here. *Points at timeline
> 
> Inspiration: But I wanna do this!
> 
> Rational: But the readers won't understand what's going on.
> 
> Inspiration: Fine! Then I'm gonna work on the other projects and let you try and wrangle this circus! Call me when the fun can begin!
> 
> ^My brain as I try and work up the energy to write this fic.^
> 
> But we're getting closer to the fun bits! The bits I've had planned out ages ago!


	17. Maharagaan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Morgiana misses Aladdin but manages to find comfort in the palace.
> 
> Alibaba is dealing with the voice in his head, trying not to lash out at his friends.
> 
> Sinbad is a drunk, needy, petulant child.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *Insert obnoxious nasally voice
> 
> I'M BAAHHCCKK!

Since Morgiana’s arrival to Sindria, her daily routine had largely consisted of waking up in the early morning before sunrise and going for a run through the island’s forests. Afterwards she’d eat breakfast before training with Masrur for what was left of her morning until Lunch. Her afternoons were then left mostly open for the young fanalis to explore the island and its city, coming across much of its natural wildlife as well as its equally lively citizens who always went about their day with a relaxed and happy smile. It was almost surreal how little the people struggled. She hadn’t seen one person destitute and on the street, whether it was a testament to the idiot king’s abilities to lead a country or something else were still up for Morgiana to decide.

In the first few weeks, Morgiana had spent much of her time fretting over Alibaba, the blond seemed fine at first, putting on a smile that was too fake, a blank look hiding in his eyes that made her feel like he wasn’t looking at her when he was telling her he was fine. The exiled prince would train alone on one of the training grounds, brushing off any attempt Morgiana or anyone else made to spar with or check up on him. And slowly, but surely, he sunk back down into the quagmire that had become his mind, being overly polite to someone before excusing himself at the first opportunity.

From dawn till dusk, he would train, barely stopping to eat or rest.

Nothing Morgiana could do would bring him back down, nothing any of them did it seemed. On the rare occasion Alibaba wasn’t training or sleeping, he was usually on the Northeast part of the island, staring out over the tropical waves to where he knew his home lay in a fragile limbo between freedom and conquest. The longer he waited, the heavier the situation weighed on his young shoulders, and the more he distanced himself.

The peaceful atmosphere of the island, full of foreign spices stocked at the bustling market intermingled with the gentle forest scent that permeated even to the center of the city and the constant smell of salty sea water that blew in over the caldera’s walls, only seemed to make him angrier. It was if the calm tranquility that was embedded into the island's very being was mocking him.

Morgiana didn't know what to do, didn't know how to properly reach out to Alibaba. She had never really had a friend before, with both Alibaba and Aladdin being her first, and even then she was far closer with the still missing Magi then she was the former royal. And Aladdin was far closer to Alibaba than Morgiana was, seemingly knowing more about the teen’s life than he himself did.

It was times like these when she truly felt alone. She might be training with Masrur, but the older red lion was standoffish by nature, preferring quieter gestures to express how he felt. She had thought of asking Ja’far, but every time she saw the royal advisor he looked like he was about to bite the head off the nearest person for telling him that the beds hadn't been made yet. The man seemed to be in a perpetual bad mood and Morgiana had a growing suspicion that it was all a specific purple-headed-idiot-king (his words not her’s, though she couldn’t agree more with his sentiment) fault based on the man’s low grumblings as he didn't so much write as carve the letters into the documents he was working on with his quill.

She had briefly entertained the idea of asking the other generals for help with her prince issue, but two of them were currently occupied with foreign affairs, and the others seemed as equally busy as Sinbad’s advisor, equal parts sharing the workload of running a country while juggling their own duties on top.

So with no one to turn to, Morgiana spent much of her free time just exploring, trying to distract herself with the many sights and tourist traps Sindria had to offer. She had trekked up and over the natural walls that defended the island capital, wandered the streets and absorbed the many smells and sights that the market and neighborhoods had to offer, and even for a brief time stood on the sandy beaches letting the water lap at her ankles but never went any further. She still couldn’t swim after all.

Today’s distraction was the palace, because despite having lived in the truly massive structure for the better part of two months, she had never been anywhere else inside it with exception to the guest quarters where she was currently staying with Alibaba in separate rooms. So alone she wandered the open air halls of the opulent building, peeking her head tentatively in open doors and knocking on a few closed ones before taking a quick peek. So far she had found a library, 29 rooms that could serve as bedrooms within a mix of occupied and vacant, the kitchens (of which there were several), a plethora of rooms that served a variety of bureaucratic needs, and a few locked doors that she didn’t so much as peep within the keyholes for a better look.

Based on her nose, she was once more in an area designated for living purposes, with a mixture of personal scents intermingling in the air, permeating through the shut doors that hid their owners personal property.

But it was one such scent that was giving her pause, forcing her to a stop as her brain worked overtime to put a face to the smell.

Though it was faint, making her believe that the owner hadn’t been there in a long time, it was nonetheless present, as if the room was attempting to bring back it’s owner by keeping their essence alive.

It smelled of… flowers in the early morning, with shining pearls of dew slowly running off their soft petals. The image of a bright smile that comforted and reassured her that everything would be all right swam on the border of her consciousness. And under the gentle floral scent was a rich, but subtle, scent of… milk… sheep's milk!

Without even thinking, Morgiana burst into a wild sprint dashing around the corner as she followed her nose to the source of the now achingly familiar smell, nearly tripping over her own two feet as she made a beeline for the only open door. Aladdin’s characteristic aroma grew stronger and stronger as she drew closer and closer.

She was forced to grab onto the frame, lest she go skidding past the open egress on the smooth tiled floor.

The sight of long blue hair and a feminine figure forced the air out of her lungs and made her eyes widen. The name was on the tip of her tongue, ready to burst forth in a mixture of relief and joy before it died in her throat like a torch dropped unceremoniously into a bucket of water.

The person was not Aladdin.

Her hair, while blue, was not the deep sky blue of Aladdin’s, instead, it had a lighter quality and shined a glistening aquamarine. She wore a rather revealing getup, with the seemingly standard palace robes that hung off the shoulders, while opting to cover her large bust with a pair of bright seashells.

She was looking intently at a book, not even noticing Morgiana who was breathing rather loudly from her sprint, giving off the vibe that if she stared long enough, and hard enough, the letters would willingly move across the paper and reveal the universe's innermost secrets and mechanisms.

Perhaps the most giving factor to Morgiana, aside from the physical differences, was the way the two held themselves in comparison. The woman seemed a bundle of nervous energy, shoulders bunched and posture strained as she tried to work out whatever problem was currently troubling her, brow pinched in high strung focus. Morgiana remembered when Aladdin was deep in thought, as she held long philosophical debates within her own council after running rings around the elder traders. How her eyes would light up like twinkling stars as she beheld the world’s most amusing puzzle, body relaxed and totally at ease as she reclined backwards into a more comfortable position to read. By comparison, the woman’s hands nervously tapped in fast repetition on her chin while she gripped the papers tightly in slight frustration, eyes flitting all over the pages as she attempted to take in everything with a desperate hunger. Aladdin’s fingers, by contrast, would have glided over parchment with a gentle reverence, calmly tapping the side of her head in a slow rhythm while her eyes carefully glided over the wording as they soaked the knowledge up like the world’s driest sponge dropped into the ocean.

“Who are you?” Morgiana tried to keep the disappointment out of her voice, failing miserably as the woman scrambled backwards, eyeing the not-Aladdin with a deep suspicion. Aladdin’s scent was undeniably stronger in here, seemingly oozing out of every crack and pore, gently wafting off the furniture and curios tucked out of the way for easy mobility throughout the spacious room. This was without a doubt Aladdin’s room, and this was without a doubt not Aladdin.

The woman jumped, shocked by Morgiana’s accusation, dropping her book before fumbling to prevent the leather bound pages from hitting the floor. In the end she was unsuccessful in fighting gravity’s hold on the book, the fluttering pages hitting the marble floor with a loud smack that punctuated the awkward silence.

Embarrassed grey-blue eyes met a scrutinizing red. The woman laughed, an awkward chuckle while scratching her head, making herself look more and more guilty, as if she had been caught doing something she shouldn’t be doing.

She coughed, trying to compose herself before looking at Morgiana with a slight smile. “You surprised me,” She scratched her cheek, slightly flushed from embarrassment, “Did you need anything? Are you lost?” She diverted from Morgiana’s question with one of her own.

“No, and I asked you first.” Morgiana reminded the woman.

The two stood in tense silence, neither quite knowing where to go from there until the blue haired woman recovered enough to introduce herself. “I’m Yamuraiha, and you are?” She began introductions, the placating smile she wore too strained as she felt heavily judged by the shorter teen.

“Morgiana.” She answered in kind with no small amount of suspicion leaking into her voice. “What are you doing in here?” She asked in a rather accusatory manner, not liking the idea of anyone having access to something of Aladdin’s while the woman was away, especially if this meant the perverted king who she could also smell nearby - faint but stronger than Aladdin’s.

At Morgiana’s inquiry, the woman’s eye lit up like a fireworks display, making Morgiana step back a bit from the complete one-eighty from her original sheepish attitude, quickly picking up the book and launching into an explanation of rukh pathways within the body affecting how magic is carried out once a magician has given a command and… Morgiana lost most of what was said, not only for lack of trying but because the woman had returned to interrogating the papers while she elaborated and descended into a furious mumble as the brain to mouth filter stopped working.

Morgiana coughed, “Hm, did you need something?” The woman now identified as Yamuraiha asked, looking up at Morgiana.

The fanalis girl pursed her lips, not quite knowing what to make of the strange woman now, so she settled on another burning question, “Why are you here?” She asked.

At this the woman looked a bit embarrassed, scratching the back of her head before gesturing to the book in her hand. “This,” she gestured to it, “I was working on one of my experiments and couldn’t remember the right formula for magic convections in relation to… you know what, never mind that part,” She stopped what was likely to be a long and complicated tangent on the properties of magic at Morgiana’s rather stale expression, “point is I couldn’t remember what I needed for my experiment to work, so I thought one of Oneesan’s journals might have what I’m looking for. This is the fifteenth one I’ve read through this morning though.” She nodded rather solemnly towards the messy pile of books hidden off to the side before looking back to the massive shelves that housed the army of journals and research papers looming high above them that she had yet to sift through with an anxious expression.

“Oneesan?” Morgiana parroted, now trying to compare Aladdin and Yamuraiha for similarities rather than differences to see if the two might actually be related. The hair and bust size gave the theory some credence, but not much else. Maybe the interest in magic?

Unbeknownst to Morgiana who was now mentally checking off details in her head, Yamuraiha had once more been reduced to a stuttering mess after referring to Aladdin out of familiar habit by her nickname. A trait shared by most of the eight generals who were younger than the woman, and had grown up in her presence.

And while Yamuraiha hurriedly worked to correct the situation, mostly by turning a bright red and stuttering out excuses for the casual nickname. Morgiana took the opportunity to further explore Aladdin’s room, deeming the blue haired magician not to be a threat to Aladdin’s things.

At least for now.

While Yamuraiha waxed on about how Aladdin may or may not be her “Oneesan,” Morgiana’s calloused hands ran over the sturdy hardwood of the massive bookshelves with the shelves packed tightly with books and documents neatly shoved in. Her eyes darted across the vast number of spines on display, with the vast majority lacking a title of any kind, it was no wonder Yamuraiha was having trouble finding the right one. Following her nose, Morgiana approached the bed, a large circular piece of furniture that occupied the center of the room and smelled the most of Aladdin. A series of thin curtains, likely used to block light or provide privacy, were haphazardly drawn shut as if the room’s occupant had just woken up. Even the sheets, a mixture of handcrafted silk and wool linens, were still in disarray, and smelled the strongest of Aladdin.

In fact, now that Morgiana had taken the time to look around, there were a mix of other personal scents underlying Aladdin's own. She could make out the more recent forested scent of Masrur, mostly coming from a shelf that held a variety of luxury snacks and food items. It seemed Ja'far had an interest in one of the chaise chairs packed into the corner out of the way. And even with Yamuraiha in the room presently, she could make out older trails coming from the same bookshelves she was currently standing in front of, showing hat this was a regular occurrence for her. There were a few others, each sticking to their own little corner of the Magi's room, some fainter than others. She chose to ignore the scent of the stripper king that also faintly wafted off the pillows and blankets, at least for now.

_Aladdin, where are you?_

* * *

The salty taste of the sea on the air, the gentle rocking of the waves against the ship's hull, that anticipation to what lay ahead on the endless horizon, few things could compare with the freedom Sinbad found on the ocean. But returning to _his_ country would always be something he looked forward to, something that would crack his content grin into a full blown smile as the dock workers helped to moor his vessel.

The streets were as lively as ever, with shopkeepers and customers haggling in the busy markets. Children played in the open plazas and the sound of laughter was never far from earshot within the city complex.

But as much as Sinbad loved to greet his people and hear out their grievances, or just chat amicably in the streets, he had business to attend to. Three long months negotiating with Kou had meant he had been away far too long from his country, especially after the months spent tied up with the fiascoes in Balbadd.

And while the plum haired king would love nothing more than to take a relaxing bath and leisurely sip rich wine while soaking in a bath, preferably with a certain blue haired Magi, there was paperwork to be done, damage control to be put in motion, and a prince to check up on.

In fact, Alibaba was the first thing Sinbad asked Ja’far about once he returned to the royal palace.

Ja’far was hesitant at first, trying to find the right words to say so as to not insult the former prince. “He has… calmed since our arrival.” He approached diplomatically.

“Calmed?” Sinbad questioned with a raised brow, looking down at the shorter male with a quizzical, bordering much more on suspicious, look in his eye.

“He has spent everyday training after he first woke up on the ship after trying to sail back to Balbadd.”

“Sail back?” Did the boy try and steal a galley or did he intend to row a dinghy across the ocean to fight an entire nation?

“Hai,” Ja’far answered with an incline of his head, “Since then he’s mostly sequestered himself off and is courteous at best. Even Morgiana hasn’t really been able to get through to him, he mainly only appears in company when absolutely necessary. He’s even taken to eating meals alone in his room.” The vizier informed his king worriedly.

The conversation took a momentary pause as they reached Sinbad’s official offices, the king dismissing Spartos and Sharrkan who had accompanied him up to the palace, instructing them to summon Alibaba and Morgiana so he could tell them about what he reaped from the negotiations.

And while they waited, Sinbad questioned Ja’far with the burning question that had been on his mind since he had separated from Aladdin on the docks of Balbadd.

“And Aladdin?” He asked, wanting to know everything that had happened since he’d last seen the woman, irate and angry at him, his question carrying more implications than just how she was doing.

Where was she?

Was she still mad at him?

Was she settling in?

Was she _Here_ , with him?

“We don’t know where she is.” Ja’far informed him, and Sinbad’s interlocked fingers strained ever so slightly in irritation. Whether Ja’far could tell Sinbad was upset or not was up for debate. “After we reached the Cinnamon Islands, she took off to handle _business._ ” Ja’far implied, almost more as a question.

Sinbad sighed, knowing _business_ was the exact reason she had disappeared from his life the two years prior. But before he could ~~interrogate~~ question his advisor further, the doors swung open to reveal Alibaba and Morgiana.

The Fanalis girl seemed to have improved physically since he’d last seen her, putting on more weight and distancing herself from the typical starved slave child appearance of her past occupation. But there was an uneasy energy around her, her shoulders too tight, face slightly contorted in worry, posture nervous as she subtly shifted from foot to foot when she thought no one was looking. Her eyes anxiously darted around the room, trying and failing to not look at anything, but always returning to the boy by her side.

A nervous energy Sinbad could understand when his golden eyes next flitted to the blond teen. Where Morgiana had put on some healthy weight after her travels through the desert and the uprising in Balbadd, Alibaba seemed to have slimmed down. Frame slightly thinner than last he saw him despite being able to eat three full meals everyday, skin paler despite being on a tropical island where the sun was pretty much guaranteed, and eyes gaunt with dark bags hanging under them. Sinbad didn’t have to be a mind reader to see that the boy was close to self-destructing after his country he had fought for was so swiftly taken from him a second time, not to mention losing a brother figure. An angry energy darted behind his amber eyes, looking for a means to escape and lash out. His fists were tightly balled as he tried to stare Sinbad down.

The king ignored the challenge, having better things to do than try and justify the kid’s anger.

But he did have news that might appease the boy and help set him on the right track, or at least focus his anger on a more suitable target.

“Kou has agreed to allow Balbadd to work as an autonomous nation within their control.” Sinbad informed the two, noting how Alibaba grit his teeth at the somewhat mixed news. “The people won’t be sold into slavery.” He continued on, keeping it slightly brief as he tried to cut off any opportunity for Alibaba to have an outburst. His words seemed to have an effect this time as both Morgiana and Alibaba seemed to let out a breath they were holding in, deflating somewhat as the tension left them, but not all. “As the King of the Seven Seas, I did everything I could, however, matters such as extraterritorial rights towards Kou and Balbadd tariff autonomy may be harsh, but we won’t know until Balbadd recovers enough to fully resume trade with other nations.”

“Thank you.” Morgiana bowed, whether she did it for Alibaba or the both of them was yet to be seen.

A moment of silence passed between the four, with Ja’far standing silently behind his king with an unreadable expression as he watched the proceedings. And while the tension seemed to grow stagnant, both teens waiting to be dismissed or receive more news, Sinbad calculated his next move.

On the one hand, there was nothing keeping Alibaba here other than the fact he had nowhere to go. If he went back to Balbadd, he’d likely start an international incident and send his home further into disarray. And while Sinbad could honestly care less about the prince, he also knew that if something happened to the boy, Aladdin would never forgive him after she’d entrusted him to Sinbad. That and with Alibaba here in Sindria, Aladdin was more likely to make an appearance and possibly stay as long as the boy did and not wander the earth until she found him again.

Granted this also meant that there would be a high likelihood that Aladdin’s attention would be focused on Alibaba, training him to become a proper metal vessel user, but Sinbad had worked in worse situations before under less favorable conditions and was confident he could at least weasel his way into the Magi’s affairs somehow.

Not to mention if Alibaba _did_ go back to Balbadd all of his hard work would go down the drain, and the incident would likely drag his country and the Seven Seas Alliance into a full blown war with the Kou Empire. So it was in his best interest to distract his fellow candidate as best he could until the situation turned once more into his favor.

“So what are your plans now, Alibaba?”

“I want to acquire more power until I can free Balbadd.” He informed the king sitting before him, not mincing his words one bit.

“So you want to train here?” He questioned already knowing the answer, sitting back slightly in his seat with a smile on his face while he further appraised the teen with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Hai.” Alibaba bowed, actually surprising Sinbad with the gesture, though he didn’t show it outwardly.

“Then I shall arrange to have instructors train you for the time being,” He casually flipped through some paperwork that had been sitting on his desk in a neat stack off to the side. “However,” He peered up through his lashes with a dark expression, “Any move you make from here on out, subtle or otherwise, will be watched, and any future goals might be difficult to achieve.” He informed the duo, looking Alibaba dead in the eye.

“What do you mean?”

“Not only will Kou be on the lookout for you in the event you spark a rebellion in a country they claim control over, but _that_ organization now likely has their eye on you as well.”

“Organization?”

“They never call themselves by any one name, but we typically refer to them as Al Tharmen. They’re behind abnormalities in the world, extreme weather phenomena that go outside the norm, rampant disease and crop failure, and most pressingly, the creatures known as abominations. I believe you encountered one such creature, Morgiana.” Sinbad nodded towards the red headed girl who paled at the memory of the horrid creature that haunted the corners of her nightmares.

“Then were they behind Balbadd’s ruin?” Alibaba growled rather astutely, quick to put his anger towards an enemy.

Sinbad nodded.

“So were they trying to turn the people into- into- into those things?” Morgiana trembled, picturing Aladdin held aloft in front of the garish maw of broken teeth.

“I’m honestly not sure, I only know that creatures like those are born from a massive collection of black rukh. And even then, they aren’t normally the result of a human transforming, mostly some poor wild creature that is unlucky enough to find itself the raw material for such a beast. All I can confirm is that the Organization has a keen interest in causing these abnormalities. The frequent onset of war, poverty, discrimination, there’s nothing coincidental about wherever disasters like these occur that abominations are sure to pop up like strangling weeds soon after.” Sinbad elaborated, looking up as the pieces he gathered in Balbadd slowly clicked into place,debating on whether he should share his musings with these two young teens. “But if I’d have to guess, I’d assume they’re interested in creating more of those black djinns.” He focused on Alibaba, observing the enraged expression that flitted across his haggard features, how his entire body tensed up in barely restrained rage.

“Even now, they are driving more and more people into situations not too dissimilar to Balbadd. They have a particular dislike for me and Aladdin, and I’ve tangled with them numerous times in the past, with their efforts only doubling after I founded Sindria. It’s been a near constant battle. Alibaba,” He called out to the boy directly, earning himself a heated glare that was not truly intended for him, “If there’s rage inside you, entrust that rage to us. I want you to help us in our war against Al Tharmen.”

The young prince actually seemed taken aback by this request, eyes momentarily losing their edge as he looked at the king wide eyed.

“Of course, even if you refuse, I’ll still help you acquire the necessary powers to accomplish your goals.”

“Necessary power?”

“I’m sure you're still plenty aware, but your Djinn Equip Skills are still rough around the edges. Among my household vessels is a highly skilled swordsman I was going to ask to help further your skills. Of course, if you wish to train with any of the others, you’re more than welcome to, though most of them specialize with other forms of fighting, I'm sure the experience would do you good.” Sinbad laid out his plan, keeping his own reasons for wanting to keep Alibaba close to himself, though he would guess Ja’far already knew his ulterior motives.

Sinbad couldn’t have planned what happened next better himself, as one of the palace guard’s quickly informed him of the approaching Southern Sea Creature.

It was time to show Alibaba just what his precious friends could do.

* * *

Deep within the bowels of the beast, Aladdin was bored with a capital B, absentmindedly playing solitaire in the creatures lower intestine as she waited for nature to take its due course.

She had been trapped within her fleshy prison for about a week now, the massive eel-like creatures had a slow metabolism despite their size and voracious appetite. And honestly she was a little cozy within her borg, bobbing amongst a lake of stomach fluids.

Sure she could blast her way out, but experience had taught her long ago that these beasts would swarm the waters where one of their kin was slain and she was in no rush to be swallowed again anytime soon.

So as long as no one knew her _dirty_ little secret, she was fine exiting the belly of the beast into what was essentially the world's largest toilet.

* * *

The serpent was enormous, so tremendous and fantastical that it pushed out the dark thoughts that had been plaguing him ever since he’d arrived in the island nation, watching it rampage through the Sindrian fields with little care to the citizens that must have seemed minuscule as it destroyed their homes and livelihoods. Alibaba felt a spike of fear at the prospect of fighting it. Not even the biggest creatures in Amon’s dungeon could match this beast. Why weren’t the citizens panicking?

But upon hearing the now excited murmur in the crowd, Alibaba followed their gaze up a cliff to see Sinbad amongst a group of others. His eyes widened as he recognized them, and a voice that he had slowly grown used to, albeit reluctantly, hissed unintelligibly on the frontiers of his conscious mind.

The Eight Generals, Sinbad’s household vessels and friends he made on his adventures, stood atop the cliff like something out of the epic stories he’d grown up with.

The real life versions seemed wholly different from the stories he had read at the palace and growing up. Obviously he could make out Sinbad, Masrur and Ja'far after fighting with the trio in Balbadd. The tall dragon looking man behind them must have been Drakon, Sinbad’s once enemy turned friend and ally, flanking the king’s left. The massive Hinahoho of the Imachukk tribe, renowned for their strength and agility in the water, stood on the man’s right with his massive rampaging unicorn horn harpoon. Spartos of Sasan and Pisti of Artemyra, countries allied with Sindria and heirs to their respective leaders, were poised for combat.

And finally Yamuraiha, Sinbad’s trusted court mage, and Sharrkan, prince of Heliohapt, leapt into action. The two quickly worked in tandem to take the beast down in an epic confrontation that he couldn't tear his eyes away from.

“Entertaining to watch, aren’t they?” Sinbad’s baritone voice spoke into his ear. The younger king vessel almost fell on his ass while the plum headed king stood back up to watch the fight, laughing as Alibaba tried to discreetly recover his dignity. “Pay attention closely, Alibaba, because Sharrkan will be your future teacher while you stay in Sindria.” The king said, looking at his generals with a glimmer in his eye, no small amount of pride seeping into his voice as he praised them.

After letting the panic and excitement of having the Sharkkan as his swordsmanship teacher settle in, he turned his attention back to the fight. A slight frown marred his young features as he thought of what Aladdin would’ve thought of the fight.She probably would have loved the excitement, jumping up and down while cheering the generals on, but the magi vanished after his fight with Kassim and the appearance of the Kou Empire's naval fleet.

Again, the voice angrily protested at the thought of the blue haired woman as it had done for months on end whenever something or someone brought her to mind. It had taken all of Alibaba’s willpower to ignore it while he listened to the king in his offices as he was informed about the culprits behind Kassim and Balbadd’s demise. In fact, the voice had been the deciding factor behind his self imposed training regiment, desiring to build himself up to prove it wrong as it continuously whispered for him to give up in his ear. The exhaustion made it easier to sleep at night, forcing him into a deep slumber where he didn’t have to listen to it or watch visions of Balbadd burning. That was until it dredged up his mind in the early hours of the morning.

“Something wrong, Alibaba?” Sinbad asked, looking down at him.

_Pawn._ The voice spoke bluntly. _He’s only using you. He only wants her._

“Are you sad you aren’t the one fighting the beast?” Sinbad gently teased, completely ignorant to the venomous voice that spat insults at both Alibaba and the king with vitriol. 

It took everything in him to smile. “Just thinking about how Aladdin would have liked to see the performance.” He half lied, too busy trying to push out the voice that coiled around his brain further and further.

Sinbad seemed to sober slightly at the mention of Aladdin, turning his attention away from Alibaba to look back towards the fight with a hum.

Morgiana squeezed his hand, reminding him she was still there and startling him with how quiet she was, and gave him a comforting smile.

_Fitting for the broken to cling together, but still too weak to do anything, even together._ The voice mocked, flashing images of Kassim, the Black Djinn, and Aladdin on loop in his mind.

Shrugging off Morgiana’s hand, the banished prince could once more turn his gaze to the fight to see its epic conclusion, as Sharkkan used his household vessel to slice and dice the behemoth into pieces ready to be cooked. Cleaving bone from flesh in such an artful way that it almost looked like he was dancing, rather than performing the duties of a glorified butcher. The people of Sindria were quick to pull an enormous tarp out to gather the pieces of meat and prevent them from touching the soil, almost like they ran regular drills for events like this.

He clutched at his head when the crowd cheered, earning himself a concerned pleading look from Morgiana and a questioning look from Sinbad who peeked out of the corner of his eye like a hawk.

“I’m fine,” He lied, “Just a headache.”

The voice snickered before growing uncharacteristically silent.

And Alibaba soon realized it wasn’t the only one, as the entire crowd was now focusing on the creature's remains in confusion.

The creature's severed gut was moved as something wriggled about. It squirmed for a good minute trying to find an exit. The gathered crowd, Sharrkan and Yamuraiha included, watched in befuddlement and slight horror as whatever it was doubled its efforts, vigorously sloshing back and forth within the pink organs. Unease turned to panic as a bubble started to form and grow, glowing brighter and brighter as it expanded.

“Everyone take cover!” He heard Sinbad yell in a distant part of his brain. Followed by a loud pop as the dissected organ finally burst, accompanied by a bright light that briefly dimmed the day to night with its intensity, raining chunks of sea monster guts everywhere and causing the crowd to panic.

He hadn’t realized Sinbad had covered them with his body until the king was gone, standing on the edge and staring at whatever had caused the explosion, looking past the murmuring crowd, Alibaba could finally see.

“ALADDIN!?” He screamed with a gasp, immediately wincing as the presence that had taken up residence in his mind seethed, digging invisible claws into his sensitive grey matter.

There amongst the pile of exploded sea creature and slices of meat, thankfully not damaged by the explosive magic, stood Aladdin, who, upon hearing her name, turned to look at him. An exuberant grin broke across her face that stretched from ear to ear, waving like a mad woman, jumping up and down while she shouted his and Morgiana’s name on repeat loud enough for the whole island to hear.

“ALIBABA! MORGIANA! YOU GUYS DOING OKAY?!” She hollered, body still obscured by the cloud of dust she had kicked up.

After his initial shock wore off, Alibaba turned a remarkable shade of red as the dust cleared around Aladdin, revealing more of... her.

For while her borg had largely protected her inside the creature from digestion, a little stomach acid had managed to get past and… well… melt some of her clothing. Whether she had just grown so used to her current state of undress while away from civilized society or simply didn’t care, Aladdin’s top had largely been singed off, exposing her rather large assets for everyone to see as she continued to bounce up and down in exuberance after spotting the blond and his red-headed companion. Her precious veil which had already undergone repair before Balbadd, was in a similar state of destruction with large holes burned into it.

Sinbad was the first to recover, taking long fast strides over to the Magi who happily greeted him, only to find herself draped in Sinbad’s robes before said man led her away from the gawking crowd who had gotten more out of the show than they had originally intended.

And if anyone not still in a daze noticed the slight dribble of blood coming out of their king’s nose, was that really a problem?

* * *

Maharagaan was always an event to look forward to, and Sinbad was always sure to participate on a personal level, wading through the crowds of merry goers in an effort to endear himself further with his people.

At the moment though, he had a certain goal in mind.

Namely, find Aladdin.

The Magi had managed to slip out when he wasn’t looking and vanish for much of the night, and despite his best efforts, seemed to be evading him.

So, he switched targets to Alibaba, or, in his mind, Aladdin bait.

Finding the blond watching Morgiana dance on stage, moving with pure joy as she bounded to the music’s lively beat. She was good, Sinbad would give her that, but like most teens, was still a bit inexperienced if the way she put too much power into her steps or the way she caught herself in a split second mistake was any indication.

And while Alibaba watched Morgiana, Sinbad watched him, rethinking some things as he recounted what information he had gathered about the boy from the day’s events alone. Alibaba had been tense to say the least during their talks earlier in his office, and during the hunt the boy had seemingly suffered from headaches out of nowhere. Then, during his proper introductions with Sinbad’s generals, the boy seemed to eye them for a second too long according to Sinbad’s intuition. Something to look out for maybe?

But most surprisingly of all, had been the boy’s reaction to the news of the visiting Kou royals. Sinbad had been expecting an angry outburst, maybe for Alibaba to storm off after pronouncing his hatred for the empire that had conquered his birth country. The boy had done none of those things, merely bit his tongue and gave a nod of acknowledgement to the information, albeit a bit reluctant and cold.

But despite Alibaba's best efforts and sincerest smiles, Sinbad could still see the anger and vitriol lurking beneath the boy’s eyes.

“You know if you keep your face like that it’s going to stick, right?” Aladdin teased him from behind.

“And if you didn’t run away I’d have one less thing to worry about.” Sinbad retorted with a relieved sigh, feeling Aladdin’s presence stop beside him but did not take his eyes off Alibaba who had yet to realize he had an audience of his own. “Where did you even run off to to begin with, you just got here?” He questioned, ignoring the obvious ridiculous mode of transportation that had taken her to him. After years of dealing with the oddities that surrounded Aladdin, it was actually rather tame all things considered.

“I had to find a change of clothes.” Aladdin responded, sipping noisily from her fruity alcoholic beverage served in a coconut shell.

“Change of cloth... ing…” Sinbad’s rhetorical question died in his throat when he saw Aladdin was wearing the same revealing outfit as many of the festival’s dancers, a slight blush creeping along his cheeks that he would blame on the alcohol if asked by anyone.

“Something wrong?” Aladdin asked, looking down at her dress for anything amiss. “Did I get food on me somewhere? Is there sauce on my butt again?” Aladdin began to twist around to try and find the nonexistent stain, revealing fabric shifting out of the way to reveal even more skin if such a thing were possible. Sinbad had seen the Magi naked plenty of times before (Thank Solomon for the invention of shared bathes), but something about the clothes that hid just enough to make Sinbad bite his lip while his mind filled in the blanks was just too much for the former Parthevian.

Maybe it was the stress of the negotiations with Kou coupled with Aladdin’s unorthodox reentry into his life, but regardless, Sinbad couldn’t help the barks of laughter that erupted out of him as Aladdin continued the search for whatever she thought was there, pouting at the king when she realized that she had been searching in vain.

“Whatever,” She flippantly responded to Sinbad’s joyous laughter, “Come on, I need another drinking buddy after putting Drakon and Hina under the table for the next few days.” She began to lead him away from the crowds, navigating through the streets and crowds with ease until they entered the surrounding forests, moving past the trees with practiced ease in the dark until they came to a small outcrop of rocks that overlooked the entire city aglow with torches and bonfires as the people roasted meat and celebrated with booze.

“Cheers!” She said, handing him a glass of wine out of nowhere while raising one for herself.

“To good health.”

“And better fortune.” Aladdin retorted before downing her glass, pulling a wine bottle from its hidey hole to refill her glass, and Sinbad’s who hurriedly guzzled his down knowing unguarded booze around Aladdin quickly became an endangered species if one wasn’t quick.

“So what did you do while I was away?” He tried to casually ask her, looking over the rim of his glass while she was already working on her third.

“Oh, the usual,” She noted absentmindedly, and Sinbad noted her long blue hair was once more out of its usual braided confines, free to flow over her back and shoulders, shining in the errant moonlight. “Went a little bit everywhere, popped over to visit Yunnan for some things, got Alibaba’s brothers out of dodge and into protection, and, you know… got eaten… again.” She admitted rather sourly, trying to drown her displeasure at the nigh constant in her life with her seventh glass, pulling another wine bottle out of the ether to join its empty companion.

“Oh,” Sinbad noted with some surprise. He himself had barely had enough time to foster a plan to get the other Balbaddian royals out of the country before he had been swept off to Kou, he had assumed they had been taken care of by his people but that was apparently not the case. “Who’d you leave them with?” He inquired, knowing it could be anyone and everyone when Aladdin was involved.

“Baasan.” She casually remarked, downing her tenth drink in one go without showing the slightest hint of being even marginally tipsy.

Sinbad choked. “Are they okay?” He inquired, having met the woman and been lucky to escape with his life.

“For the most part,” Aladdin admitted without an ounce of guilt for the torture the pampered princes were most definitely undergoing at the hands of the ancient woman. “They were in one piece when I left them so I assume it can’t be all bad.” Sinbad had lost count of what drink she was one, thinking it had to be somewhere between fifteen and eighteen, and the corner of his vision was beginning to blur ever so slightly as he tried to keep up on an empty stomach.

The next bottle Aladdin pulled out, Sinbad stole from her, uncorking the damned thing himself and refusing to share the liquidy red goodness inside. Aladdin merely rolled her eyes before pulling another one out of the ground like it was a weed before joining Sinbad in his hedonism and drinking straight from the bottle like an alcoholic infant (which to be fair they were).

“Why Alibaba?” Sinbad once more asked, slurring his words a bit while Aladdin still remained fully cognizant. In truth, he was still a bit annoyed by the enigma, and quite jealous that the first word out of her mouth was the prince's name and not his own after her spectacular entrance.

He was a far better dungeon capturer in his expert opinion, and far handsomer too.

“Jealous?” The object of his affection asked with a gentle laugh, not quite believing her own accusation as she pulled yet another bottle from nowhere. It was getting hard for Sinbad to accurately count the large quantity of empty vessels that littered the ground behind them.

“Yesss!” He slumped against her side, breathing in her intoxicating floral aroma and draping his arms around her, pulling her closer to him while he pouted. “I was there and I didn’t get a hello… I even gave you the clothes off my back! ‘Ts not fair.” He mumbled, one of his fingers grabbing hold of an errant lock of blue hair and twirling it around absentmindedly.

“Mhmm,” Aladdin hummed, far too used to drunk Sinbad’s clingy whiny complaints about her not spending time with him to be all that phased by his less than royal behavior. “Would it make you feel better if I kissed your wounded pride better?”

Sinbad didn’t reply, merely grabbed the bottle Aladdin was working on and began chugging.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I always envision Sinbad as a clingy sentimental drunk.


	18. The Nobility of Kou

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An overprotective brother appears along with an old friend of Aladdin's

Sinbad was in the interim region that snuggled itself securely between the borders of the waking and sleeping world. Too tired to move his limbs, but awake enough to just make out the barest details of his surroundings. He was warm, tucked under silken blankets and sheets, lying atop a soft feathery surface. The cogs turned in his head, dusting off the cobwebs and shaking the sand from their gears, soon surmised that he was in a bed. There was something warm curled up into his stomach and nestled under his chin.

A soft floral scent gently settled in and subtly worked to drag him back into the waters of Morpheus’s realm of oblivion.

And as his mind began to wake up, his body many miles behind in terms of obeying his whims, he slowly pieced together what happened to lead him here, as there were a lot of blanks currently taking up space in his memory.

The southern sea creature thrashing in the Sindrian fields was the first thing to pop back into place. And from there… Maharagaan, which led to…

_Aladdin!_

His eyes fluttered open, the first thing to fall under his control, allowing him to be greeted with darkness. When they finally adjusted, he realized that the sun had already risen but the curtains pulled shut prevented him from recognizing what time it probably was. Ja’far was most definitely pissed and probably out for blood, but as long as Sinbad stayed in the embrace of who he thought he was snuggling with, he was safe.

Slowly, his golden gaze traveled down to focus on the blue crown of Aladdin’s head, the top of which his chin rested on. He could make out her gentle breaths through the subtle movements of her shoulders as they rose and fell with each inhale and exhale of air.

Deciding that he had worked hard over the past few months, he had earned a break. He closed his eyes and hunkered down to go back to sleep when he felt two burning glares try to set the back of his head on fire.

Cracking his left eye open just a sliver, he noticed the beam of light that cast their shadows on the wall. And through the mirror that was positioned ever so perfectly for the plum-haired king to peer over his shoulder, he saw Ja’far with a face that looked like he had sucked the sour essence out of every lemon on the island and Morgiana who looked at him with the disapproving glare of a thousand elderly Sassan nuns from her vantage in the doorway.

Sinbad smirked, looking every bit like the cat that had gotten the cream and had moved on to the canary, picking blue feathers out from his sharpened teeth while his owners stared shocked at the scene of the crime.

Everyone of his generals had been exposed to Aladdin’s violent tendencies when she was woken up before she was ready, it was like a right of passage now that he thought of it, one with broken bones and black eyes. He’s pretty sure Sharrkan was missing a tooth and had a nasty scar on his back from where Aladdin used said tooth to carve a strongly worded warning into his flesh.

Closing his eyes once more and breathing in Aladdin’s intoxicating smell, Sinbad settled back in for a long morning, only opening his eyes when he heard the soft padding of feet on marble He watched as Morgiana made her way around the bed to stand behind Aladdin, looking at Sinbad with a blank expression. A blank expression that quickly turned devious with a smug grin.

_Her funeral_ , Sinbad decided, knowing that everyone had to learn the tough lesson that was Aladdin didn’t wake up unless she wanted to. But the glint in her eyes, the tiny little thought that peeked out of the corner of her eye to gloat down at Sinbad, set his hackles on edge.

“Aladdin?” The little red-headed minx asked with a quiet wobbly voice, making herself look small and vulnerable. Sinbad would have given her props if he didn’t know exactly what she was doing.

Hina’s kids had done the same thing when they were younger, hell, they still did it.

But he couldn’t do anything to stop it, not unless he wanted his insides on the out. Helpless, as Aladdin didn’t so much shuffle under the covers but slither like some fathomless octopus fresh from the oceanic floor. The slender limbs that he had not noticed encircling his waist unwound to give Aladdin more maneuverability. He held his breath, looking out of the corner of his eye to watch Aladdin crack a crusty eye open like a dragon waking up from a thousand year slumber. The narrow blue slit staring Morgiana down with the intensity of a star about to go supernova.

Morgiana sniffled, “I can’t sleep.” She shuffled from foot to foot, really hamming up how small she was and appearing far younger than she had any right to look.

Sinbad was caught between wanting Aladdin to string Morgiana up by her intestines for waking her up, but also not wanting to be caught in the crossfire as many a victim had found themselves in the past.

But the worst part was, it seemed Morgiana’s devious plan was working, as Aladdin’s cracked evil eye closed. She buried her face into Sinbad’s bare chest and he could feel her face scrunch up in concentration, weighing the possible pros and cons, or maybe planning how to set half of Sindria on fire for not allowing her to sleep. It was kinda funny in hindsight how Aladdin could think a mile a minute after she woke up and was her usual bubbly self, but when she first woke up she was barely a step above bloodthirsty feral animal before she’d had a bathtub’s worth of coffee.

She grumbled something, shuffled about, squirming and wriggling under the covers and Sinbad had hope for the briefest of moments that Aladdin was going to at the least dismiss Morgiana and put an end to anyone trying to ruin his morning(?) plans that consisted of doing nothing except bathing in Aladdin’s presence.

Alas, Solomon must have had it in for him as, quick as a vindictive serpent striking, Aladdin disentangled herself from Sinbad’s still frame and snagged the now surprised Morgiana from where she stood by the edge of the bed and locked her into a deadly embrace.

“Ah-Aladdin?” The king questioned, not quite believing what just happened, mostly because there wasn’t any blood or tortured screams, reaching a hand out, about to touch her shoulder, before pulling it back as if burned.

A single blue eye glared at him while Aladdin growled (actually growled!) at him to back off.

And for better or for worse, Ja’far quickly intervened to snatch him from the bed, yanking him out from under the covers and dragging him through the halls to get ready for the day after he had postponed much of his kingly duties already.

“Gone for months, stalling paperwork that’s been building…” Ja’far grumbled, along with a plethora of other colorful insults that Sinbad couldn’t make out in his haze of disbelief.

“And where are your clothes?!”

* * *

Morgiana watched with no small amount of satisfaction as the gobsmacked king was dragged away with a wide-eyed expression.

_Now,_ Morgiana thought to herself, feeling the normally gentle and welcoming arms tighten around her like a hungry constrictor, _How am I going to get out of this_.

It was an hours past noon after all.

* * *

Sinbad’s early morning afternoon might have been disturbed by one vindictive advisor and his scheming red headed accomplice, but at least he could recover some small amount of satisfaction in watching Alibaba get his ass handed to him by Sharrkan from his hidden vantage from the second floor.

He may or may not have given a glowing appraisal of Alibaba’s skills and the way in which he bested a djinnless Sinbad during their fight in Balbadd.

The fact that Alibaba only made himself look even worse by swinging around a sword that he wasn’t used to and leaving himself wide open for Sharrkan to wail on him was just a happy coincidence.

Unfortunately, Aladdin had weaseled a promise out of him that he’d help the teen. And there was always the knowledge that Sinbad wasn’t the only dungeon capturer affiliated with the Magi. She could always take the boy to another tutor and have them work on him.

Or Solomon forbid, go to Yunnan.

“ _How tragic!_ ” Imaginary Yunnan mock laughed behind his imaginary hand, “ _How sad the great king of Sindria can’t even help one poor boy master his djinn equip. I guess it's unavoidable, I’ll just have to step in then. Won’t I?_ ” The image of the annoyingly smug Magi and his infuriatingly fake smile was the kick in the pants to get Sinbad into action, quickly recognizing the main problem with Alibaba was not so much his sword, as it was _his_ sword. So long as the blade Amon dwelled in was cracked, being both a literal and figurative reminder of Alibaba’s weakness, the teen would never truly unlock his full potential.

With a sigh, he stood up from his vantage by the window, stretching hi arms high above his head and happy for any excuse to ditch the paperwork. _Might as well start now._ He thought to himself, trying to plan just how much information would be best to trickle to the boy to keep Aladdin around that much longer.

* * *

While they gathered on the docks waiting for the Kou delegation to arrive, Aladdin glared at the back of the idiot king’s head, making him squirm for not telling her about the foreign entity showing up as part of his negotiations with the world power.

The first of the official group to come down was a black haired boy a fair bit older than Alibaba.

And speaking of Alibaba, Aladdin couldn’t help but raise a brow as he fidgeted uncomfortably. There had been something going on with the boy that wasn’t right, but according to everyone else he had been that way since he’d arrived. The best she could think was that he was, understandably, still angry about the annexation of his birth country and the death of his friend.

The sound of a closed fist smacking flesh startled her from her inner monologue about what she could do to help, schooling her expression as she tried to make it look like she had been paying attention the whole time and not staring at the back of the former prince’s blond head.

Something something, something, prince of the Kou Empire, Ren Hakuryuu.

She couldn’t sense a vessel on him, and she doubted he would come to what was essentially an enemy territory without one. Though he might be considered low on the hierarchy since the current emperor had multiple consorts and illegitimate children.

Maybe she should have been paying attention to the number.

But that name sounded really familiar, where had she heard that name before? She once more stopped paying attention, opting to instead scratch the inch at the back of her head in an effort to pierce together why that name sounded familiar and let Sin deal with everything. And besides, Sinbad had everything under control and…

_WHY WAS HE WALKING TOWARDS HER!?_

She sent a panicked look to Sinbad for an intervention, not at all prepared for whatever business the kid had with her.

The prince's eyes were closed in simple mirth as he walked towards her, deftly dodging Sinbad’s diplomatic attempts to redirect him. Offering the excuse that he wanted to thank her for something. It was only now that he was approaching her directly that she saw the large scar on the side of his face.

“Magi-sama,” The man, because now that Aladdin saw him up close he seemed to be at least five years ahead of Alibaba and carried far more experience in his step, bowed deeply in a sign of respect. “I wish to offer my most sincerest thanks for your help on the Tenzan Plateau, without your aid I’m sure many lives would have been lost.”

Ah, now she the pieces were falling into place. “Ah, you wouldn’t happen to be the older brother Hakuei talked about, are you?” Once she moved past the scar on the left side of his face, the man looked kind of like an older male version of Hakuei.

“Hai, my sister had nothing but praise for the aid you gave her in the dungeon,” She could feel the heated eyes of the eight generals aimed on her for helping a hostile polity, willingly or not.

“No, no it’s fine, I’m sure Judar-kun,” She was proud of her efforts to clamp down on the tremor of discomfort at applying such a loving suffix to a boy that would gut her like a fish and leave her for dead in a back alley dumpster without a second though, “Would have eventually done the same.”

“No, no I must press how happy,” His smile seemed strained now, “that it was you,” he took her hand in his, clasping it with the other as he held it close, an angry tick developing on the side of his head, “who lead my precious little sister through the deadly trials of Paimon!”

His words might have sounded happy and grateful, but the sickeningly sweet saccharine smile he was giving her was downright murderous.

“Ah, the pleasure was mine and… Hakuei was such a nice… You have such a strong… my hand…” He was crushing it, he was crushing her hand and smiling about it!

“Sorry, sorry, how careless of me!” He had the gall to laugh and rub the back of his head. “You have to understand I’d do anything to keep my sister safe, _anything_ , and when I heard she was going to the Tenzan plateau I was so worried! But I’m glad that a Magi such as yourself saw to help her through a dungeon.”

It was broken, her hand was officially broken. She was left off to the side to gently blow on her bone and manually reset the bones that he had dislocated.

“Oh, there was one more thing I forgot,” Aladdin looked up, not out of hope for an apology but because the hand crusher sounded all too happy about whatever it was he forgot. “Hakuei told me to bring along a special passenger, something about how you were such good friends.” He smirked down at Aladdin who had yet to fully recover from her destroyed hand. The sound of thundering hooves smashing across the wooden boards of a ship’s deck gave her a good clue as to what was coming.

She didn’t waste another second, taking off down the harbor road and turning around the corner just in time to see the angry form of the same black ram from all those months ago charging through the crowd and making a b-line for her.

* * *

“I’m gonna do it!” Sinbad said in reference to fighting the Kou prince that had essentially attacked her earlier. His sword whooshed through the air as it was brought forward with a deliberate and powerful strike. The man's toned body dripped heavily with sweat after hours of practicing first against Alibaba, then Sharrkan, and finally taking out his aggression on the training dummies. But now that the training dummies were in splinters after being smashed well into the night, he simply worked through his forms, bringing his blade down swiftly and precisely.

“No you’re not.” Aladdin replied easily, gently carding her hands through the wool on the top of the black ram’s head in the soft fire light of the burning braziers. After a daring chase through the streets of Sindria, the even toed ungulate had calmed down after a good run and finally attaining the attention from the one woman he so desperately crazed.

It was actually kinda funny now that she looked at the animal up close. From the right angle, he looked a little bit like Sinbad.

“You’re gonna need a shave.” She leaned down and kissed the top of the ram’s head, getting a happy snort in reply.

“How can you be so calm?!” Sinbad hollered back irately, though none of the heat was directed at her.

‘Because nothing permanent happened, see?” She held up her perfectly fine hand as evidence, bending the fingers and waving at Sinbad who maintained a sour disposition. The king turned his head and went back to ignoring Aladdin in favor of preparing for a dual with the latest royal addition to the palace.

Rolling her eyes, Aladdin went back to lavishing attention to the sheep that had braved half the globe and sailed across the seven seas to reunite with her for whatever reason. She was just glad that not all the sheep she had encountered in her lifetime were this devoted to following her around.

The gentle sound of the fluffy black cloud breathing accompanied by Sinbad’s grunts and strikes as he sharpened his skill provided excellent background noise for her to wander her thoughts and worry about the future.

Alibaba was still distant, and though Sinbad had been kind enough to help the boy in his training by not only providing a teacher but also by giving the teen a new vessel for Amon to dwell in, he was still further behind then he should be in his djinn equip. He seemed to be at a plateau, only able to summon flames, or change the form of his sword if he really concentrated.

He had decent amounts of magoi and good control, but he was hitting the wall hard and he only seemed to be growing more frustrated with it as he kept butting against it. She might have to take a more personal approach to this, engage Alibaba and work on his abilities with him. If nothing else she could at least help better the flow of magoi in his veins.

She could talk to Amon… the djinn had been with Alibaba since that day whereas she’d been thrown halfway across the globe.

And then she blanched as she remembered how everything had spit balled because she got distracted, then injured, and then a lot of other stuff happened that then led to the civil war and the coup and then… yeah, she really dropped the ball here.

“If you keep making that face it will get stuck like that.” Sinbad came over and sat down with a groan, leaning his head on her unoccupied thigh. She swore the ram actually growled, but then again she’d been a bit out of it as she slowly came out of her thoughts.

“At least I don’t smell like a sweaty yak,” She flicked the soaked purple pony-tail off her knee and listened to it smack against the ground with a wet _splat_.

They remained like that, with Aladdin running her nails along the sleeping ram’s scalp and looking up at the stars, Sinbad resting below and looking up at her thoughtful face.

He stared at her eyes, looking up at those deep blue pools that always trapped his gaze, then tracing up her slender brow to her hairline and following the long braided locks of hair to her shoulders where he could truly appreciate her change in attire. It would take a few days before she could repair her old garments, melted as they were with stomach acid. So in the meantime she was dressed in the typical Sindrian style found amongst the palace workers. Her pale neck and the top of her breasts exposed to the cool night air as the fabric hung off her shoulders.

It led to thoughts of her staying, of her remaining here with him. Of always being able to walk on the pristine beaches in the evening as the sun set over the horizon. Of him and her ditching paperwork to go sailing on that pathetic little dinghy they had hidden away in a cave on the western shore of the island. The promise that everyday he would be able to wake up next to her and bask in her presence like a lizard sitting in the sun on a warm rock.

But before he could ask the question, a question he had asked a hundred times and would ask a hundred more until she said, their quiet little moment was ruined.

“I hope I’m not interrupting something,” It was the third prince of Kou, Ren Hakuryuu.

“Not at all!” Sinbad groused, trying to throw up a veneer of diplomatic hospitality as he sat up, more than a little ticked off at how the foreign noble had so brazenly _harmed_ Aladdin in broad daylight.

There was whack to the back of his head from Aladdin’s staff followed by a chasticing “Play nice.” that he ignored in favor of mentally projecting his thoughts of _GO AWAY_ to the intruder.

The man smiled, giving the seated king what appeared to be a challenging smirk that rubbed the plum headed man in all the wrong ways.

But when the scarred man turned his gaze to Aladdin who was looking at him with a calm demeanor his features melted away to a business like quality, neutral and focused.

“I came to apologize for my earlier handling of the situation, it is not my intention to cause strife between Kou and Sindria.”

The two friends looked at each other, easily picking up that there was more to this story than a simple overprotective sibling narrative.

“I take it you are not here just to apologize?” Aladdin hit the nail on the head, both her and Sinbad watching as Hakuryuu nodded his head at her assessment.

“No, and while I understand your suspicion towards my country, me, and my motives, I ask that you at least hear me out.” He kneeled into a bow, prostrating himself before the foreign king and the sorcerer of creation. When neither of them spoke, he took it as his cue to continue. “As I’m sure you are both aware, the organization that inhabits Kou has long had its sights on both this country and you. I am partially aware of some of your past dealings with them and their efforts to destroy you. They are once more moving to strike at this country and its people, but this time something’s different. They've pooled a lot of resources into this one move.” From the corner of their eyes, the two friends made eye contact, seamlessly passing on an entire conversation with the one simple gesture before turning back to their audience.

“Different how?” Aladdin asked through hooded eyes.

“It’s hard to say for certain, even with the resources available to me, the inner workings of the organization are still a mystery. But after the incident in Balbadd they have heavily invested themselves in finding you, Magi-sama.” Sinbad tensed at the words, gritting his teeth in irritation and nearly letting loose a low protective growl of his own but thankfully remained silent.

“Aladdin?” Sin turned his head ever so slightly to her, looking over his shoulder to see her pensive gaze aimed at the grassy ground of the training field.

Her blue eyes slowly lifted under heavy lids to appraise the Kou male that had come to them, carefully watching his stoically calm features, trying to pin him down for any flaw that might give away a hidden ruse or lie. “As far as I can tell, he speaks the truth.” She said after a deep exhale, turning her attentions back to the ram that was now eyeing Hakuryuu with a suspicious glare.

From there, Sinbad took the lead. “We’d be putting a lot at risk based on your word alone, assuming what you say is the truth.”

“You don’t believe the Magi?”

The king’s jaw tightened on reflex, “I never said that,” He took a deep breath, deciding to put his trust in Aladdin’s ability to believe in people, “But why would a prince of the Kou Empire risk everything to tell us this? It seems too risky a gamble to be branded a traitor on the off chance Sindria is attacked. What do you gain from our survival? Just what is your purpose then for being here?”

Sinbad would give the younger male credit for being able to remain calm under the judgmental and wary gazes of an expert dungeon conqueror and the Magi who had gone through more than him.

“To destroy the Kou Empire.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am so sorry for being late on updating this work, I've just been swamped with the start of school and lacking inspiration and drive to work on this. I took me weeks if not months to try and write these sparse scenes and not entirely copy what happened in the anime/manga.
> 
> For those who are wondering what happened at the docks after Aladdin was chased away by the ram, I'll be sure to expand on that in the next chapters through flashback as I do have a plan but just couldn't fit it into the flow of this chapter to where I was comfortable with posting it.
> 
> Comments and kudos are always appreciated, a shoutout to those two to five commenters that posted something the last two days, the possibly four guests but likely only one and 14brendale. It was just the kick in the pants I needed to get this done and posted.
> 
> Stay safe out there and hopefully I'll post again soon!


	19. Intentions

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sinbad and Aladdin further digest Hakuryuu's intentions, and Alibaba still has some lingering doubts.

It was rare to find Aladdin awake before noon, but when she did it was not uncommon to find her in one of the palace’s many garden’s hidden in a tucked away corner where she could enjoy her rare morning in private.

It was also just safer for everyone if she was secluded far away from the populace in the wee hours of the morning to make sure she was indeed awake and prepared for dealing with the early risers.

It was just one such rare occurrence on the morning following the meeting between herself and the two royals. So while the rest of the island was just now leaving their homes and getting to work in the fields and town, Aladdin was sat at a table obscured from palace staff by a flurry of vibrant green foliage and a living mosaic of richly colored flowers. Quietly she sat at a stone table and languidly sipped at a cup of hot tea while picking at her breakfast with a slothful pace.

But she wasn’t alone this morning, as Sin sat opposite of her, picking at the meal sat before him with a critical eye. His handsome features subtly twisted with a concerned concentrated look, appearing as if the food had given him a small slight.

“I think it’s a fine idea.”

“Absolutely not!’ He hotly replied, stabbing the bacon on the tip of his fork.

Rather than rebuke her friend’s refusal, Aladdin merely shrugged her shoulders before returning to her tea, dropping the subject in an effort to spoil her morning further.

But the idea of an alliance with a Kou splinter faction still floated above their heads like a dark cloud. The knowledge that the royal family wasn’t as stable or united as they put on weighed heavily on their heads.

* * *

Fighting Aladdin in a duel was very different from anything Alibaba had ever experienced before.

Sharrkan fought with a single minded determination, needling and prodding at Alibaba both physically and mentally. The Heliohapt male had a natural cocky attitude that oozed chauvinistic superiority which managed, without fail, every time to get under his skin. The biggest problem was that the man was no teacher material, too much of a prodigal natural to adequately describe to Alibaba where his swordsmanship was wrong. But that didn’t mean Aliaba wasn’t learning. It just meant that a lot of it was up to Alibaba to pick up on the subtle cues that the dark skinned man gave whenever Alibaba did something right. Sharrkan’s brutal series of swift chains of attack were a deciding factor in the growth of Alibaba’s reflexes and defense, finding the larger Sword of Amon to be perfect for blocking or delivering the rare (oh so rare) power attack.

The Legend of the Seven Seas that was Sinbad was another beast entirely. Whereas most of his practices were with Sharrkan, the training duels he had had with the man the day previous had been delivered without mercy. It only dawned on him after his ass had ended up on the ground for the seventh time and his sword flung far from his grip that the man had been holding back immensely during their initial duel in Balbadd all those months ago. He was just thankful that the king had deemed it more politically advantageous to help Alibaba’s fledgling movement of bandits instead of lobbing off his head and handing it over to Ahbmad like he had originally promised.

He just never expected the woman to be such a brutal opponent without magic. The idea that a magician was only deadly because of their arcane skills was swiftly being beaten out of his head, literally, as Aladdin danced around him with a grace he could only dream of. But where Sharrkan and Sinbad were learn by doing after throwing him into the deep end of combat, Aladdin actively gave feedback.

“Keep your stance strong, knees bent!” She called after yanking his ankle with the crook of her staff.

That was another thing, Alibaba was fighting with his sword but Aladdin continued to fight with her staff. The sharp edge of his blade glanced off the wooden surface as if it was made of iron.

“Keep your elbows tucked!”

“Parry, parry, parry.”

“Good, attack when I’m on the back foot, control the flow of the fight!”

It was like training with his old instructor Barkak, except whereas Barkak would stop and go through the motions with him, Aladdin would shout out what he did good and what he did bad before redoubling her efforts to beat the snot out of him. Her staff swung through the air with a  _ whoosh _ aimed at Alibaba’s weak spots, her movements were more akin to dancing, graceful and fluid as she twirled and put her simple wooden weapon’s superior reach to use.

The staff’s crook proved to be a particular hassle as it hooked around his ankles and pulled him off balance.

It was only because of Alibaba’s quick reflexes that he was able to continue fighting.

But unfortunately, it was this same move that had him on his ass and the butt of the Magi’s weapon aimed between his eyes.

Alibaba was drenched in sweat, coated in a crusted layer of dirt and grime, and breathing heavily through burning lungs that had had the air knocked out of them on more than one occasion.

Aladdin by contrast looked as if she had merely gone for a light jog through the park, going so far as to wipe away the meager amount of sweat that adorned her brow with a happy smile. The scene was made all the more bitter to swallow as a gentle breeze blew through the commandeered courtyard and ruffled her long blue hair in a picturesque manner.

“Alright, let’s take a break!” She happily chirped, holding out a hand for Alibaba to take before hauling him effortlessly to his feet with a deceptively strong grip.

The former prince didn’t so much guzzle the water in the fountain Aladdin led him to as he dunked his entire torso beneath the divine cooling liquid, swallowing it by the gallon. He came up for air only when his lungs forced him to before throwing himself back under the refreshing blue water.

When he felt like he was about to throw up from how much he had drank, he stopped, coming up and gasping for air almost as desperately as he had the water before. Once he was all caught up on his basic needs, water then oxygen, he turned to Aladdin. Chuckling to himself as the scene gave him a major feeling of Déjà vu.

She sat on the lip of the fountain, one leg crossed as she gingerly held a hand out and let one of her colorful beetles land on her finger. The knowledge that she could actually communicate with the insectoid messengers made a lot of sense in regards to Aladdin’s nigh omnipotent knowledge. How she found him in Qishan and kept up with him despite his use of many tunnels and back alleys to evade her.

_ But why you? _

Alibaba’s hand flew to his neck as if to smack a mosquito.

He hadn’t heard the voice since Aladdin had returned.

But that didn’t mean the voice’s presence went unnoticed.

It was always there, this unseen weight at the back of his mind that looked out through Alibaba’s eyes to spy on the world, to spy on Sindria, to spy on Aladdin. And after he just heard it for the first time in weeks, it felt like a dam about to burst. Its malicious gaze bored into Aladdin who sat none the wiser to her friend's internal dilemma.

The words, like always, struck a chord.

Why him indeed?

What did Alibaba have to offer that the Magi who had chosen Sinbad would choose him?

It wasn’t strength.

And it sure as hell wasn’t magoi, with Yamuraiha, Sharrkan, Sinbad, and even a sheepish Aladdin informing him that he had average at best quantities.

Sure he was skilled, but anyone would be with enough practice, and Alibaba had tutors!

So what was it that made her want to go into a dungeon for his sake?

“Neh, Aladdin,” Alibaba dejectedly inquired, stirring the blue-haired woman from her conversation with a bug and drawing her inquisitive gaze to him, “Why me?” He pulled the new sword of Amon from its sheath by his heart, having not used it in their spar. Aladdin had just wanted a simple light spar without the worry of magic. At the time Alibaba had been somewhat relieved about it, not feeling any pressure to perform to expectation. But the longer he now dwelled on it, the less he himself felt.

Was she starting to regret her decision?

Did she think he couldn’t do it?   
  


Would she take Amon away from him and find someone worthier?

The image of the newly arrived Kou prince flashed in his mind’s eye, but he pushed it back as far as he could when it appeared. He still wasn’t ready to deal with that particular powder keg and the voice’s commentary that came with it. Thankfully the man didn’t make it hard to avoid him as the foreign prince was usually occupied elsewhere, often practicing with Spartos who preferred the quiet of the forests to the clatter of the fields.

“Why do you think I chose you?”

“What?!” Alibaba floundered, scrambling away from Aladdin who had once more taken up her intrusive habits and pressed her face as close to Alibaba without touching him. How he didn’t see her do it was beyond him, as even lost in thought he was confident he would have noticed a bright blue woman breathing in his face.

“I said,” Aladdin started, leaning back and giving Alibaba some room to breath, “Why do you think I chose you?”

Her face was carefully blank, not giving him any indication of what the right answer might be, if there even was one that is.

Thankfully, the voice remained silent now that Aladdin had her direct attention on him. But its presence remained.

“I dunno…” He rubbed the back of his blond head sheepishly, feeling like the desert sun was on him as he paradoxically remained under Aladdin’s unwavering cool gaze. Those deep blue pools threatened to suck him in and never let go, drowning him amongst the sea of secrets the woman clutched onto with a covetous need.

“Alright then,” Aladdin sighed, clasping her fingers together and bringing them up in a wide arc above her head to stretch, “let’s start from the beginning.” She once more looked at him, this time with the expression an instructor might use on a particularly obstinate child. It seemed Aladdin had a million and one ways to make Alibaba feel small. “Why did you want to go into Amon?”

_ What _ ? He mentally questioned.

“What?” He said out loud, not quite getting what Aladdin was trying to show him.

The woman rolled her eyes in fond exasperation before standing up and pacing in front of him, her hands gesticulating all the while.

“Why did you want to go into Amon? It’s a simple question really.” She rolled her shoulders, stepping into the grass and looking at the small flowers with a lethargic curiosity, waiting for Alibaba to answer.

Despite the answer feeling simple Alibaba just wasn’t sure. “Because I wanted to save Balbadd?” Maybe he shouldn’t have phrased his answer as a question. What if he should have-

“Exactly!” Aladdin spun around, long braid swinging wildly. Thankfully they were alone but Alibaba had little doubt the thick chords of hair could have taken someone out if Aladdin wasn’t careful. A single finger was pointed at Alibaba and again he hadn’t noticed Aladdin’s ability to invade his personal space until it was too late. The nail of the digit but a hair's breadth away from the bridge of his nose. “Because you wanted to help people.”

“But I-” Aladdin raised a brow at his objection, egging him to go on. He looked off to the side, not wanting to meet Aladdin’s calm expectant gaze right now. The weight of the voice slithering around the back of his skull and making him feel more under pressure than he already was. “But I was only trying to fix my mistakes. I was only trying to-”

“And that’s somehow wrong?” This time Alibaba did look at Aladdin, meeting her horrendously calm expression with his bewildered one. She closed her eyes, letting out a deep sigh before looking off to the side, “What’s wrong with wanting to help people, even if it’s for our own selfish wants? Would you have helped them even if it wasn’t your fault?” She looked at him from the corner of her eye.

Alibaba didn’t answer, so Aladdin continued.

“Do you want to know what my original plan was when I went looking for you?” She looked away, head rising to watch the clouds pass into the distance and over the caldera wall. Alibaba waited for her to continue with baited breath. “Originally I had wanted to bring you here, assuage my own guilt over your father, Rashid’s, passing.” Her face took on a sad expression. “I in part felt some guilt over what led to Balbadd’s situation, wondering if there was anything I could have done to change it.” She laughed a single bitter laugh. “But the past being the past, there was little I could do. So I decided if nothing else I would ensure that you were safe. You didn’t have to take up the mantle of king or continue in Rashid’s legacy, I only wanted you to be okay.”   
  
She looked to him with a small fond expression, lips crinkled upwards in a slight smile. “But then I saw you, beaten down and backed into a corner and you never gave up. You would help people no matter what and always did it with a smile despite the conditions you were in.”

She looked at him without looking at him, her eyes seeing something that wasn’t there, or more likely was far away in what felt like the distant past. Smiling, then frowning, then doing something weird with her lips as she tried to settle on one emotion. He’d hazard a guess that the one she ended on was confusion… maybe… “And you never asked for anything in return, not out right at least.”

She looked away from him, a hand coming up to secure her hair as a gentle breeze blew through the courtyard and threatened to loosen some of the captive strands of blue. Her smile was small, but it was no less powerful. It was a smile born of fond memories, of distant laughter and the joy of others.

“And then I heard the most interesting conversation,” She kicked at the ground before continuing with her anecdote, “One day, you’ll see, I’m gonna conquer Amon and claim all the treasure inside!” Her voice was high in a pale imitation of Alibaba’s own. “My subsequent stalking and conversation with you only helped to cement my support.” She looked at him with a warmth that he could feel, like sitting on the sun baked bricks of the rooftop slums when he was a child. When he was happy in a simple way, with mum, with Miriam… with Kassim.

“And I thought, here is a boy, who has been knocked down time and time again, and hasn’t given up.” She laughed again, a small nasally snort of disbelief, “And rather than be in it for the glory and power, to gain the ability to destroy armies and conquer empires with the swipe of his hand, all he wants is enough money to buy his people out of debt.” This time she laughed.

It was a full blown laugh that had her in stitches and made Alibaba blush as she continued without care of his embarrassment.

“A boy who had read the stories and grown up on the legends of Sinbad and he didn’t really care about Amon as long as he got paid! If we weren't in a rush or I wasn’t there I’m sure you’d have left without him! Too concerned with your loot and hoard to notice what you had passed up one.” This time she looked into the distance, a far away look that had a melancholic quality to it.

Her next words were almost too quiet for the former prince to hear.

“I wish more people were like that.”

  
  


Morgiana didn’t like reading and writing, but she didn’t hate it either.

In one of the many quiet gardens of the Sindrian palace, Morgiana sat at a stone table and practiced her handwriting, careful not to snap her pen and spill ink everywhere. She had already familiarized herself with the many letters of the common alphabet, having been tutored by Aladdin during their six month trip to Balbadd once the well educated woman learned that the young fanalis girl could not read or write.

Despite being a high end slave, Morgiana had not been relegated to tasks that deal with the more refined aspects of running Qishan.

So while Aladdin continued her intricate work of fixing her veil and usual attire with needle and thread, Morgiana familiarized herself with the larger words of the common vocabulary. She had refused the break Aladdin had offered, opting to continue her studies and catch up with those around her who were all well read and learned. Despite Aladdin’s insistence that she was doing better than most her age, even those of noble lineage, and that she had earned it, Morgiana was staunch in her position.

“You're much better than Masrur.” Her blue haired companion and sister figure informed her out of the blue, not taking her eyes off her own task. At Morgiana’s dumbstruck expression, she elaborated, “When he was your age, Masrur was much more intent on avoiding all lessons as much as possible, he’s only been caught up recently. Only Ja’far and I could get him to sit down for any extended period of time and put in the effort to study. Even then,” Aladdin leaned back to chuckle, a bright smile lighting up her features under the bright sun as she reminisced, “If we took our eyes off of him for even a moment he’d take off and hide.”

Morgiana could see it despite having grown close to the older fanalis and developing a sibling-esque relationship, or rather because of it, his aloof and solitary nature could easily be misinterpreted as disinterested or unsociable. And the few other anecdotes the girl had received from the other generals and Aladdin had a common theme of Masrur in his younger years literally running away to avoid his problems.

So with that in mind, she returned to her own studies with a slight smile on her lips, finding her task a bit more palatable.

Of course they couldn’t go long without distraction.

“Magi-sama, might I have a quick word with you, in private?”

* * *

Sinbad didn’t like it, not one bit.

He didn’t trust Kou one bit, nor did he trust a word from Prince Hakuryuu’s mouth. Though Aladdin had shot down his request for her to make him one of her king candidates, it royally boiled the man’s blood that the Kou noble would even attempt to sway ~~his~~ the Magi.

Unfortunately, Aladdin was a master manipulator when it came to handling Sinbad, and had chosen her battleground well to break the news.

“Would it really be that bad to have a voice on the inside?” Aladdin asked, kneading the knot in his back while the two sat in one of the many bath houses of the palace.

Damn her and her willy wicked ways.

Normally Sinbad had no problem with the naked form, more than ready to engage in the more carnal affairs of the flesh.

But whenever it came to Aladdin, he had something of a weakness, easily falling sway to her curves and contours, nodding along to whatever it was the Magi said.

“You already gave them a one metal vessel.” He grumbled, the bitterness of her selecting Alibaba and helping him train still fresh in his mind despite having ample time to get used to it. Accident or not, her going with the Kou princess was just the cherry on top. “And you know they’ll eventually turn it on us.”

Aladdin hummed. “And you're so sure about that because…” A delicate finger ran down the curve of his spine making him shiver.

The man pouted, looking over his shoulder and maintaining eye contact at all costs lest he lose steam as well as his current argument. “Just because he says he wants to disassemble the Empire doesn’t mean he will succeed. What’s to stop the other five metal vessel users from aligning themselves further with the organization or fracturing the empire into a civil war?” Though the Empire fracturing could be politically advantageous for the alliance if controlled correctly. And from what Sinbad knew from his spies and operatives in Kou, the split at best would divide amongst the progeny of the current emperor, Kougyoku, Kouha, Koumei, and the current crown prince Kouen, against the former emperor’s children, Hakuryuu and Hakuei. Though Sinbad’s current thorn in his side’s younger sibling might join the former group out of loyalty to the current regime with how fervently she fought.

“Do you not trust me?” She leaned in, pressing the advantage quite literally into his back and wrapping her slender arms over his shoulders. Sinbad’s face contorting visibly in a show of restraint as Aladdin’s slender hands settled over his heart. Despite the heat of the bath, he could feel her breath on the vulnerable flesh of his neck, as well as the soft fluttering of her lashes against his sensitive skin.

He wouldn’t be surprised if she could feel his heartbeat through the layers of corded muscle as a blush blossomed across his face.

Did she not know the power she held over him?

He could swear his advances were rather obvious by now. Though, given his already infamous playboy status she might view it as a common courtesy.

“I trust you,” He turned away, still pouting, “But what I don’t trust is-”

“Anything remotely shaped like Kou?” Aladdin asked with a quirk of her lips.

“Yes!” He hotly replied.

“If it makes you feel better, I said no.” Aladdin told him, releasing her grip on the man’s broad shoulders with a sigh, sinking beneath the warm waters to rest her head on the lip of the opulent bath.

With surprise clearly written on his face, Sinbad turned, disrupting the still waters to stare at the woman who gazed back languidly at him. He normally would have smirked in a pleased manner at the way Aladdin casually appreciated the years of hard work that went into crafting his fine sculpted body. But he was still a bit taken aback with the refusal she had given the upstart revolutionary.

“But I thought-”

Aladdin interrupted him, reaching a hand out to pick up a succulent red fruit that sat off to the side. “While I would like nothing more than to spark a revolution against the organization on their home turf-” Her face contorted in dissatisfaction, putting the fruit back on the plate in favor of a native purple one, “their interests in us are already piqued. It would prove unwise to challenge them when we still don’t know what their current goal is. In trying to depose them and route them out of Kou, we may very well send them running elsewhere and starting all over again.” Memories of their fight with Parthevia in Sindria’s infancy were still fresh in their minds despite the years. “I think it best to draw them out and make their intentions clear.”

“And if that goal is to kill you?” The man frowned, fists tightening in resolution to do everything he could to prevent such an outcome.

“It wouldn’t be the first, and it won't be the last.” Aladdin replied casually with a shrug of her shoulders, finally taking a bite out of the supple flesh of her chosen bathtime snack.

Shaking his head, Sinbad allowed himself to to relax into the warm scented waters of the bath. He would take the Magi’s counsel into consideration, but it didn't mean he wouldn’t exhaust every opportunity he had in keeping Sindria and Aladdin safe. Already thinking of options available to him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I LIVE!

**Author's Note:**

> Be gentle. I bruise easily.
> 
> Probs not gonna have irregular updates too.
> 
> Have mercy.
> 
> ...
> 
> Edits:
> 
> Thanks for the comments and kudos, they mean a lot to me and my crack baby.


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